Covid-19 vaccination in UAE: Dubai inoculates more than 20,000 taxi and bus drivers

Nearly 40,000 vaccine shots administered to RTA employees since January 19

A RTA taxi driver receives Covid-19 vaccine. Courtesy: RTA

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority vaccinated its entire fleet of eligible taxi and bus drivers.

The vaccine was administered to more than 20,000 drivers, RTA said.

Two vaccination centres were set up with the help of Dubai Health Authority.

The first centre has been inoculating taxi and bus drivers since January 19, and the second one was set up on February 3 for other employees.

Nearly 40,000 vaccine shots were given to drivers, front-end staff, metro and tram operators, parking inspectors and other RTA employees along with their family members, said Nada Jasim, director of safety, risk, regulation and planning, strategy and corporate governance sector at RTA.

The campaign also covered school bus drivers, bike delivery riders and limo drivers who are not on the agency’s payroll, she said.

The two centres vaccinate 1,200 to 1,500 people daily.

The UAE has achieved its target of vaccinating half of the country’s population, Abdulrahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention said on Tuesday.

Mr Al Owais said at the weekly Covid-19 briefing that 52.46 per cent of the UAE’s population had been immunised.

This includes 70.21 per cent of elderly people and those in the vulnerable category.

The Emirates is on track to meet its objective to immunise 100 per cent of its eligible population this year, he said.

Dubai Metro in pictures

Workers build an underground tunnel at Union Square Station, one of two underground stations where both Dubai Metro lines meet, in 2008. Reuters

Construction of a metro station on Sheikh Zayed Road in January 2009. Alamy

Scores of buildings under construction along the new metro line are seen on June 15, 2008. AFP

Construction of a track line support column for Dubai Metro under way. Alamy

Workers at a construction site for Dubai Metro pictured on May 28, 2008. AFP

Construction for Dubai Metro under way ahead of its inauguration in 2009.

Dubai Metro passes Dubai Marina during test runs a week before its opening on September 9, 2009. Stephen Lock / The National

Murals painted on the Metro support pillars in November 2018. They were painted by two international artists, Peruvian Daniel Cortez and Dominican-born, Miami-based Elio Mercado, known as Evoca1. Reem Mohammed / The National

Commuters file into Noor Bank Metro Station in September 2018. Victor Besa / The National

Commuters wait to take the Metro.

Dubai Metro has served more than 1.5bn passengers since it opened 10 years ago.