Dubai: The sole public transportation service provider in the Emirate of Dubai, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has revealed great ridership numbers for 2021.
RTA reported that the number of riders using public transport, shared transport, and taxis in Dubai, which include the metro, tram, public buses, marine transport means (abras, ferry, water taxi, water bus), e-hail vehicles and taxis (Dubai Taxi and franchise companies) touched a whopping 461 million last year.
The Authority’s ridership was considerably better when compared to the figure of 346 million riders announced in 2020. While the daily average ridership for mass transit means and taxis last year reached 1.3 million riders, the same figure was about 948,000 riders in 2020.
The Dubai Metro and taxis accounted for the biggest share in the number of riders using public transport, shared transport and taxis, with a share of 34 percent for taxis, and 33 percent for the Dubai Metro. Meanwhile, the share of public buses amounted to 25 percent of the total number of public transport commuters. December 2021 recorded the highest number of public transport users with 53 million riders, followed by November recording 50 million riders. The number of riders in each of the remaining months ranged from 30 to 48 million riders.
Mr. Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA remarked.
The RTA Director-General further added that, “These results confirm that public transport operation is back to normal following COVID-19 and is a reflection of the high confidence of public transport users in the efficiency of the preventive and precautionary measures that RTA had initiated to curb the spread of the pandemic right from the start. RTA applied the best global practices in coping with the virus.
Mr. Al Tayer continued stating that, “Such efforts were rewarded by a certification of the Covid-19 prevention measures from the Norwegian DNV.GL company; one of the prominent international entities in the evaluation of the infection control programs and associated risk management, including performance-related health and preventive measures. RTA’s efforts also accelerated the recovery of the public transport sector and restored the normal business to pre-COVID-19 levels. They have also boosted the confidence of public transport riders in the efficient health and preventive measures taken to protect public transport riders and the staff of public transport means, stations and related facilities.”
METRO TRAVELERS
Elaborating on the Metro Ridership, the RTA Official remarked that, “The number of metro riders on both the Red and Green Lines reached 151.3 million riders in 2021. Burjuman and the Union Stations (transfer stations on the Red and Green Lines) accounted for the biggest number of metro riders last year. About 8.8 million riders used Burjuman Station on both the Red and Green Lines, and the Union Station was used by about 7.5 million riders on both the Red and Green Lines.”
RTA reveals that on the Red Line alone, Al Rigga Station witnessed the highest number of riders as close to 7 million riders used the service, followed by the Mall of the Emirates Station (6.3 million), Business Bay Station (5.8 million), and Burj Khalifa-Dubai Mall Station (5.7 million).
Meanwhile, Baniyas Station topped the list in terms of the ridership numbers on the Green Line by lifting about 5.3 million riders, followed by Sharaf DG Station (5.1 million), the Stadium Station (3.9 million), Salah Aldin Station (3.8 million) and Al Ghubaiba Station (3.2 million).
TRAM SERVICE
Dubai Tram carried as much as 5.34 million riders in 2021, when public buses and marine transport means (abras, water bus, water taxi and the ferry) served 116.3 million riders and 10.94 million riders respectively.
SHARED TRANSPORT MEANS
The volume of travelers who used shared transport means (e-hail vehicles, and smart rental vehicles) were 22.9 million riders, while taxis (Dubai Taxi and franchise companies) lifted 154.7 million riders.
“These results highlight the efficiency of RTA’s plans and programs implemented to provide diversify mobility options for people in the emirate. Dubai’s public transport network, which is fully integrated, has become now the backbone of people movement around Dubai. The network succeeded in coaxing a change and evolution in the culture and attitudes of all community segments to the use of public transport means,” highlighted Mr. Al Tayer.