September 9, 2009, is the date that will remain in Dubai's memory for a long time. Not only because of the elegant way of writing it as 09/09/09 nor because it happens every one thousand years that we can write the date in a similar fashion but because it is the date of the opening ceremony and start of operations of the Dubai Metro.

Indeed the glory day has finally arrived and Dubai has joined the 160 elite cities around the world with a developed Metro public transport system with 25 more cities, like Dubai, eagerly awaiting the completion of their system. The worldwide systems are estimated to have carried 155 million passengers every day in 2006, a true indicator of their success and public acceptability.

As a public transport enthusiast, I am encouraged to say that this achievement is worthy of the celebration it received. The time His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, dedicated to visit all the completed stations on the maiden journey of the trains and the reception he got from the public are a sure sign of the eagerness and expectation of the public in connection with the use of the Metro as a means for their mobility and a solution to reduce the stress level associated with long journeys and traffic jams.

Of course it is too early to measure the success of the Metro and sceptics will be around for sometime to come. But the success of the Dubai bus system is a sure indicator that Dubai residents are willing to give public transport a chance, especially that it has been made clean, fast, practical and affordable. I believe there is more work to be done to convince people that it is to their advantage economically, environmentally and health wise to use the Metro whenever possible on its own or in combination with other modes of transport.

The 160 cities in the world with a metro system have a total network length of 8,000km and 7,000 stations and, therefore, the Dubai Metro being 74.6km long with 47 stations set to be operational is well above the average.

Let us not forget that some of these cities have taken decades to arrive at the system they have. The important thing for Dubai is to complete the current network and make it operational and start its expansion in well-thought out steps gradually.

From the energy point of view, there is no doubt that the Metro will reduce energy requirement for transport in Dubai. It is, after all, one of the main reasons for cities to construct and encourage public transport.

The International Association of Public Transport estimates that an energy equivalent of one kilogram of petrol per person will allow a car to travel 19km, a bus for 38km and a train for 48km and, therefore, the Metro will be the most energy efficient per passenger-kilometre.

In terms of environmental impact, the fact that the trains are electrically driven means there will be no emission of harmful gases such as those associated with petroleum products fuels. Even if we take the full cycle and include the fuel used at the power station supplying the electricity, the energy and emissions per passenger-kilometre will still be the lowest. Trains do not pollute locally while buses do and cars do most.

While energy and environmental impacts are important, the Metro will have its social impact in the sense that it will make it easier for people to meet and socialise and it is a facility where everybody is treated equally and therefore it generates more equity in the society.

I am also sure that city-planning in Dubai will be impacted by the fact that the Metro is now a reality. Perhaps it will put a limit to the sprawl of the city before the already empty spaces, especially those close to the Metro lines, are developed and therefore contribute to a more efficient and economic end result.

A statistical review of the weekly and monthly performance is indeed required as a tool of impact measurement.

I hope this point is on RTA's mind and that the public will be fully updated regularly.

In Tokyo, they have helpers in major metro stations to push people into the trains in times of rush hours to make room for the largest number of passengers. Let us hope that Dubai Metro will get full without the help of pushers.

- The author is former head of the Energy Studies Department at the Opec Secretariat in Vienna.