In numbers: Dubai’s public transport H1 milestones

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has reported a significant surge in public transport ridership during H1 2024.

Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said:  “There was a 6 per cent growth in the number of riders during H1 2024 compared with the same period in 2023. It is a key indicator of Dubai’s economic boom, the effectiveness of RTA’s plans to encourage residents and visitors to use public transport, and the availability of diverse mobility options in the emirate.”

Al Tayer also emphasised the RTA’s commitment to achieving a 25 per cent public transport share by 2030, a target that is steadily gaining momentum.

Key highlights: Public transport use in H1

• A total of 361.2 million passengers used Dubai’s public transport and shared mobility services, compared to around 340.5 million users in H1 2023
• The daily average number of riders reached 1.98 million, compared to 1.88 million in the same period in 2023
• Public buses transported 89.2 million passengers. Buses accounted for 24.5 per cent of total riders, with January seeing the highest number: 65 million users. The remaining months saw the number of commuters range between 53 and 63 million
• Dubai Metro and taxis accounted for the largest share of public transport riders, with 37 per cent for the metro and 27 per cent for taxis. Taxis in Dubai carried 97 million passengers in H1
• The Dubai Metro carried 133 million passengers, with BurJuman station leading the charge

Al Tayer shared:  “BurJuman and Union stations saw the highest number of passengers, with BurJuman recording 7.8 million users and Union station 6.3 million users. On the Red Line, Al Rigga station had the highest number of passengers with 6.2 million users, followed by Mall of the Emirates with 5.6 million, and Business Bay with 5.2 million. On the Green Line, Sharaf DG station ranked first with 4.7 million users, followed by Baniyas station with 4.1 million, and Stadium station with 3.3 million users.”

• Dubai Tram transported 4.5 million passengers
• 9.7 million people used marine transport
• Shared mobility (e-hail vehicles, hourly rental vehicles, and on-demand buses) transported 27.8 million passengers

• #RTA announced that the number of users of public transport and shared mobility in Dubai—including Metro, Tram, public buses, marine transport, Taxis, e-hail vehicles, smart rental vehicles, and on-demand buses—reached about 361.2 million in the first half of 2024. This… pic.twitter.com/nirGThtXOT

  — RTA (@rta_dubai) August 11, 2024