Revealed: Which Dubai Metro station is busiest?

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), revealed that the number of users of public transport means (Dubai Metro, public buses, marine transit modes, and taxicabs of the Dubai Taxi Corporation only) in the first half of this year has hit 165,527,687 riders. The number of people using the Dubai Metro Red Line over the last six month has topped 43,552,110 at a rate exceeding 7 million per month, whereas the number using the Metro Green Line during the same period clocked 23,549,206 at a rate of about 4 million per month. Deira City Centre, Burj Khalifa, Mall of the Emirates, Union, Burjuman, Al Rigga and Al Karama stations accounted for the lion’s share in Red Line users. Deira City Centre station was used by 3,261,835 riders, followed by Burj Khalifa station which was used by 3,031,640 whereas the ridership of the Union, Bur Juman, Mall of the Emirates, Al Rigga and Al Karama stations was close to 2.7 million per station. As for the Green Line, Al Fahidi, Bani Yas and Al Ghubaiba stations saw the largest numbers with 2,803,237 riders using Al Fahidi station, 2,706,626 riders using Bani Yas station, and 2,004,392 riders using Al Ghubaiba station. “In keeping with RTA Strategic Plan focused on integrating public transit means, which is aligned with the Dubai Strategic Plan for the infrastructure sector aimed at providing an integrated roads and transport system in order to ensure a smooth traffic flow and the highest safety levels for system users, the RTA has made every effort to revamp the public transport means to make them the ideal mobility choice of people in the Emirate. “This drive also echoes one of the strategic objectives of the RTA vis-à-vis reducing the use of private vehicles and increasing the use of public transit means from 6 per cent in 2009 to 30 per cent in 2030, and this rate has almost hit 12 per cent in 2012,” stated Al Tayer. Public buses He further added that number of public bus users in the first half of this year amounted to 56,256,678 compared with 53,512,000 riders during the same period last year. Transit service within Dubai accounted for the majority of bus riders recording 40,973,435 riders, followed by Metro stations feeder service which was availed by 9,349,057 riders, and inter-city bus service which recorded 5,934,186 riders. Marine transport “Marine transit modes (abras, water bus, water taxi, Dubai Ferry) served combined 6,823,183 passengers during the first half of this year,” said Al Tayer. Explaining the breakdown he said that abras served 6,466,243 users, water bus lifted 304,134 users, Dubai Ferry served 42,154 users, and the water taxi was used by 10,652. Dubai Taxis He further explained that taxicabs of the Dubai Taxi Corporation only (excluding taxicabs of franchised companies) lifted 35,346,510 passengers. “Residents and visitors of the emirate do grasp the benefits and advantages of using public transport means including the psychological and physical relief of riders, reducing traffic accidents, cutting expenses on fuel and maintenance of private vehicles, and avoiding the hassles of finding parking space, which is becoming a challenge facing most advanced cities worldwide, let alone that using public transport means effectively contribute to reducing pollution generated by the massive number of private cars, which also triggers illnesses such as those related to the respiratory system,” concluded Al Tayer. Emirates247