Dubai: Those who have previously visited fireworks celebrations on New Year’s Eve in Dubai know one thing for sure — it’s best to leave the car at home and take public transport.

It’s a common theme throughout a master plan to reduce traffic congestion and to handle hundreds of thousands of New Year’s Eve revellers, who will be out on the town to take part in the celebrations in and around Dubai Mall — Burj Khalifa and the Palm Jumeirah.

Officials with RTA said they expect metro ridership to hit 749,842 riders on the Red Line and 359,025 on the Green Line, while passengers taking the bus is expected to reach 49,920. Since its 2009 launch, Dubai Metro achieved its highest ridership last New Year’s Eve, when a record 587,542 passengers used the driverless train. Three stations - Burj Khalifa-Dubai Mall, Business Bay and Financial Centre - were the busiest, serving a total of 506,813 passengers that night.

The Dubai Metro will be operational from 5.30am on December 31 up to midnight on January 1, 2014.

At the Dubai Mall — Burj Khalifa fireworks venue, officials are anticipating a 30 per cent spike in public transport users compared to the numbers recorded last year.

Dubai World promises a record-breaking firework show at the Palm Jumeirah, where fireworks will be displayed across the Palm Jumeirah and 50,000 viewers are expected to attend, including 30,000 people among the residents and visitors of the Atlantis Hotel.

Engineer Maitha Bin Udai, CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency, said, “Signage is being set up to show the way to alternative parking and directing traffic to the internal roads network at the Business Bay to access the Shaikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road to ease the pressure on the Financial Centre Road.”

A solid rail in the median of the Shaikh Zayed Road will be set up in the sector along the Burj Khalifa and the Business Bay. This is being done to fend off pedestrian crossing and traffic disruption.

“A bus shuttle service will be operational for the public from the eastern side of the Shaikh Zayed Road to the Western side of the Road. Traffic lights on the Financial Centre Road and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Boulevard will be controlled to ensure the smooth traffic flow during various peak hours, and virtual messaging signs will be used to alert road users of any road closure as well as directing the public to use alternative locations for parking vehicles,” added the official.

In addition, roughly 60 feeder buses will be deployed for metro users. Additional parking and alternative taxi ranks, over and above the existing routes serving the neighbourhood, will also be made available. As many as “15 buses will be deployed to serve Meydan parking, 20 buses to serve Trade Centre parking, 15 buses to serve the parking of Zaabeel Park as well as the Residency & Foreigners Affairs Department and 10 buses will be deployed for the public to move from the eastern part of the Shaikh Zayed Road to the Western part of the Road,” said Bin Udai.

Emaar has expressed readiness to bear all operational expenses of above buses, thus riders will be treated with free rides.

Concerning public buses service at the Palm Jumeirah area, 40 feeder buses of the Nakheel Harbour & Tower Station will shuttle people between the event’s venue and the alternative car parks mentioned above, where access cards will be checked at the designated parking spaces.

The Dubai World has expressed commitment to bear all operation expenses of the above-mentioned bus routes, thus offering free service to the public and facilitating bus riding process.