• Dubai's RTA announced a record number of passengers used the city's public transport on Thursday, September 9. Courtesy RTA
    Dubai's RTA announced a record number of passengers used the city's public transport on Thursday, September 9. Courtesy RTA
  • Passengers board the Dubai Metro at Ibn Battuta heading to Rashidiya. Photo: Sarah Dea / The National
    Passengers board the Dubai Metro at Ibn Battuta heading to Rashidiya. Photo: Sarah Dea / The National
  • Dubai's Ibn Battuta bus terminal is popular with commuters looking to travel from one end of the city to the other. Sarah Dea / The National
    Dubai's Ibn Battuta bus terminal is popular with commuters looking to travel from one end of the city to the other. Sarah Dea / The National
  • Passengers board buses at Al Ghubaiba. Sarah Dea / The National
    Passengers board buses at Al Ghubaiba. Sarah Dea / The National
  • Abras are another form of popular public transport in Dubai. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
    Abras are another form of popular public transport in Dubai. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
  • Passengers make their way out of Rashidiya Metro Station. Sarah Dea / The National
    Passengers make their way out of Rashidiya Metro Station. Sarah Dea / The National
  • More than 516,000 people used taxis in Dubai on Thursday, September 9. Pawan Singh / The National
    More than 516,000 people used taxis in Dubai on Thursday, September 9. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Water taxis on Dubai creek ferry people from Bur Dubai to Deira. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Water taxis on Dubai creek ferry people from Bur Dubai to Deira. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Proving a popular way to travel, more than 250,000 rides were recorded on public buses in Dubai on Thursday, September 9. Courtesy: RTA
    Proving a popular way to travel, more than 250,000 rides were recorded on public buses in Dubai on Thursday, September 9. Courtesy: RTA

Dubai records highest number of public transport users since beginning of pandemic


Patrick Ryan
  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai has recorded the highest number of daily public transport users since the beginning of the pandemic.

More than 1.3 million people used the city’s various public transport facilities on Thursday, September 9, according to the emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Almost 460,000 used the Dubai Metro, with more than 311,000 using the red line and just under 150,000 taking the green line.

The tram was used by almost 16,000 people, while more than 250,000 took rides on public buses.

More than 516,000 used Dubai taxis, with a further 66,590 using e-hailing and car-sharing services, the RTA said.

There were also more than 21,500 people using marine transport across the emirate.

Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the RTA, said the record number of passengers was proof that confidence, about how safe it was to take public transport despite the pandemic, was returning.

He said this was down to the RTA's continued efforts to introduce precautionary measures to ensure public safety.

“[The] RTA has implemented globally-benchmarked preventive protocols to protect the health and safety of passengers, as well as drivers and other frontline transport staff,” he said.

Updated: September 11, 2021, 7:23 AM