Dubai: 1.92 million people used public transport daily in 2023

Image courtesy: WAM

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said more than 1.92 million people used public transport services daily in the emirate last year.

The authority said public transport ridership clocked 702 million passengers in 2023, marking a 12 per cent increase compared to 621.4 million riders a year earlier.

“December 2023 recorded an all-time high monthly ridership touching 64.9 million coinciding with the UAE’s hosting of COP 28, followed by October which saw 64.2 million riders, and November which recorded 64 million riders,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of RTA.

Al Tayer said ridership rates in other months ranged from 54 to 60 million.

RTA said the Dubai Metro was the most popular mode of transport, serving 260 million riders in 2023, a 15 per cent increase from 2022. Burjuman and Union Stations, which are interchange stations on the Red and Green Lines, accounted for the largest share of metro ridership last year.

The transport regulator said that taxis, including Dubai Taxi Company and franchise companies, came in second, with 198.4 million users, up 8 per cent from a year ago.

Public buses transported 173.5 million riders, marine transport ferried 17.43 million, and Dubai Tram served 8.84 million.

Similarly, shared mobility means, including e-hail, smart rentals, and bus-on-demand, served about 43.61 million passengers.

RTA expands Dubai Metro

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai approved the 30 km Dubai Metro expansion project last November.

The new line, known as Dubai Metro Blue Line, will transport 320,000 new passengers daily.

The new metro line will have 14 stations — seven are elevated, including one iconic station; five underground, including one interchange station; and two elevated transfer stations connected to the existing Centrepoint station, the eastern terminus of Red Line in Rashidiya; and Creek station, the southern terminus of Green Line in Al Jaddaf.

“RTA is consistently expanding and upgrading the public transport network. 2024 is set to mark the commencement of the Metro Blue Line project, which will stretch over a total of 30 km, with 15.5 km running underground and 14.5 km above ground,” said Al Tayer.

The metro extension will be built at a cost of Dhs18bn and is set to be operational in 2029.

Read: Dubai Metro expansion: Sheikh Mohammed approves Blue Line project