When Dubai’s Metro began operation in 2009, many predicted that it would quickly become part of the fabric of the city. Indeed it has. Residents and tourists alike depend on the fully automated Metro to move them around town, from home to work and beyond. As a mark of the transport system’s success, it is actually difficult to imagine Dubai without it.
This week, the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority has announced that building an extension for the Metro will begin by the end of the year. The Dh10.6 billion project will add a 15-kilometre section to the Red Line that will connect Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station to the site of the upcoming Expo 2020 site. With seven new stations and plans to extend all the way to Al Maktoum International Airport, the new line will serve a population of 270,000 people and provide critical infrastructure for the world fair.
Dubai’s Metro is proof that efficient public transport systems can energise the urban environment. When the infrastructure is in place, it quickly becomes a necessary resource for the city. Abu Dhabi is engaged in a similar push for its public transport network, with a focus on improving the bus service. There is no doubt that modern public transport systems are needed to propel our cities into a future where there should be less reliance on private vehicles. There is even a proposal to create a network of floating pods to transport tourists around Yas Island’s leisure attractions. Plans are being considered to implant a system of two-person, jet-like vehicles that transport people using magnetic levitation.
While the floating pods concept might seem outlandish, it demonstrates the creative thinking under consideration to improve transport systems around the country. The same can be said of moves to deploy a network of driverless cars around Dubai.
Ultimately, the success of the Dubai Metro is evident by how many people take it for granted. It is an essential part of their daily commute simply because it works. The key to success for all public transport is that it is efficient, convenient, comfortable and easy to use. The eyes of the world will fall on Dubai in 2020, when there will be a need to move millions of people around in a seamless fashion. By delivering on this, Dubai will again show the world how it’s done, and we will all enjoy the repercussions for decades to come.
