UAE | Traffic and Transport

Commuters struggle to get home after late-night spectacle in Dubai

Hundreds stranded even though Dubai Metro had extended hours

By Janice Ponce De Leon, Staff Reporter
Published: 00:00 January 2, 2012

People at the Dubai Mall Metro Station were refused entry

Image Credit: Janice Ponce De Leon/Gulf News
People at the Dubai Mall Metro Station were refused entry as guards said they had to come from the other side. Some women were carrying babies.

Image 1 of 3: 1 2 3

Dubai: From fireworks to blisters to cold — this was the New Year for hundreds of people who walked home after watching the fireworks display at the Burj Khalifa yesterday.

Despite the extended service of the Dubai Metro and the deployment of additional feeder buses in the area, revellers by the hundreds still got stranded near Dubai Mall yesterday. There was chaos on Shaikh Zayed Road as people walked across it. Some even walked along the flyovers to hunt for taxis.

This year, Dubai Metro operated until 5.30am yesterday. Its stations were packed with huge volumes of commuters. At the Dubai Mall station, there were heated exchanges between the guards and the commuters who had babies and children in tow at the entrance at the Financial Centre side of the station.

Speaking to Gulf News, Morteza Masum Ali, an Indian who came with his whole family including five babies, said they were directed by security to head for the Dubai Metro. But no one told them that people would only be allowed entry from the other side.

"The guard said we should go back to Dubai Mall and come back from that side and fall in line. We will have to walk another two or maybe five kilometres [to the other exit]," he said after having stood there for 30 minutes.

Some parents with babies, however, were allowed entry which enraged the other commuters.

More Pictures

Pyrotechnics extravaganza

Video

New Year fireworks at Burj Khalifa in Dubai

Comments (23)

Added 19:00 January 2, 2012

I was unimpressed by Metro Operations after the amazing fireworks at Downtown: I walked to Business Bay Station to avoid Burj Khalifa/Dubai mall congestion but the way users were directed by Metro steward was not effective at all. The only way in was too narrow to feed the trains: where is the point in increasing the frequency to one train every 3 minutes if the coaches ride empty ? It would have been a better effort allowing the train to load more passengers before leaving the station. Happy New Year

Alessandro, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 17:38 January 2, 2012

I had also planned to visit Dubai Mall with my wife & 6 yr old child to witness the Fireworks. Fortunately for me, upon reaching the business bay MS the sight of a huge crowd thronging to board a bus AND most importantly the mismanagement & uncooperative attitude of RTA officials/security was sufficient to make me turn around and head home from where I managed to have a partial view of Burj Khalifa.

Patrick, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 14:36 January 2, 2012

Thank God, I just enjoyed my evening on my 3D TV watching some blockbuster... I learned from the last GN reporting for the NYE and thought that I will never attend it.

Mohammad, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 14:09 January 2, 2012

Why would someone take their babies to such a crowded and popular event and more importantly, why would you want to ride the metro on the busiest night of the year!?! Its just silly. Next year they should just stop all traffic, and let buses bring in people, like they do when you have large sports events.

Anonymous, AL Ain, United Arab Emirates

Added 13:50 January 2, 2012

sorry to all who had a rough time on that day. it was my first time to attend the event & had no problem at all.

Anonymous, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Added 13:04 January 2, 2012

The Burj Khalifa fireworks was the best, 2nd to none for the 2012 countdown. However, for us metro commuters, it was a terrible disappointment. We were refused entry at Dubai Mall metro, and were told to walk up to Business Bay Station. So many people, families, children, foreigners, workers were stranded at the station. The crowd control was not there, there was nobody to organize where people should fall in line. I was at Business bay at 1:15pm, and was only able to board around 4pm already. This is a failure of Dubai Metro.

Nelson, Adu Dhabi, Malaysia

Added 12:47 January 2, 2012

people never learned their lesson from what happened on the same event last year.

Anonymous, dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 12:26 January 2, 2012

The Metro worked really well. And the police and Metro staff coped admirably. It would have been better had people followed instruction and NOT tried to find shortcuts or push in. At the Emirates Towers station after the event police had set up a very efficient filtering system, but selfish people tried pushing forward and jumping into the exit lane. The police thank goodness were firm and sent them back to the rear of the queue. Although not perfect - nothing is - we set off from City Centre at 10pm, arrived at the Dusit by 11. We had coffee and cakes, went outside and watched the fireworks from nearby at midnight and were home in Deira again by 1.15. It was easy - we just walked to the Emirates Towers station after (10 mins max) and waited in the queue like civilised people and were treated as such by the authorities. Everyone could have done that but there were to many selfish people who even made it bad for themselves as a result. Very, very silly.

Martin Thomas, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 12:16 January 2, 2012

Dear Sir, I was stranded at Dubai mall on 31st nite. My wife, my 6 mth old Baby and I left the mall at 9.30pm. We were directed towards an exit after which we were told we could get a taxi. When we reached the main road we searched everywhere but were not able to find a taxi. Subsequently we found out there were no taxis and all the feeder buses to the Metro station were cancelled because of the fireworks display. We walked for 1hour till we reached the Burk metro station. On reaching there we were informed that the station was closed til 12.30am and if we were in a hurry we should go to the Business Bay metro station. We walked for another 35minutes will we reached the BB metro station. Once there we were informed that only passengers having a NOL card were allowed to travel since the vending machines did not work. The staff was extremely UN-cooperative and did not empathize with me even though i was with a lady and infant. After crying my lungs out i was given a ticket but not before ensuring that i begged for change from fellow passengers. Fortunately for us an indian family helped us with the change and also dropped us home after we got down at Burjuman centre. The traffic management was poor and i am surely never going to go out ever on new years eve. I am sure many more would have had horrid experiences on 31st Dec. Not a very happy new year and something to ponder on for times to come

Parag, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 12:00 January 2, 2012

though i saw same chaos last time on opening of burj khalifa but i came as i was sure arrangements would have been much better. i am sure that RTA and police knew that this many people would be coming as they had experience from last time. They should have arrange two separate routes for cars and public transport after 12:00 am.. e.g exit to Al khail for private and shaikh zayed for public (buses, taxis..) maximum buses should have been available along with metro for karama, deira, city center stops. .. it might have resulted in private commuters to drive a bit extra but there wouldn't be any chaos ... excuse of maximum 2.5 minutes metro capacity is not enough as parallel bus service could have improved situation

kamran, dubai, United Arab Emirates