Dubai: Traffic congestion around Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence is likely to fall significantly when scores of motorists plan to ditch their cars for the Dubai Tram which rolls out on November 11.
Residents living in older parts too said they will use the tram to visit JBR and Dubai Marina.
“It is a great boon for us as we can think of ditching our cars. Last week, I had to circle around JBR for 40 minutes in slow-moving traffic to find a suitable spot to drop off my daughter who was visiting a friend there. It was frustrating,” said Indian expat Lakshmi Sethu who lives in Jumeirah.
Pocket friendly
Pakistani student Nora Khan said the tram will save her taxi money. “I take the Metro from my Bur Dubai home to Internet City from where I take a taxi to my college in Knowledge Village. The tram will be a cheap alternative for me as I can avoid spending on taxis,” she said.
Tickets will cost Dh3, regardless of the distance travelled.
“It will be a big relief for commuters,” said an Aussie expat who works in Media City.
Tom Watterson, British expatriate living in Elite Residences in Dubai Marina, said he will use the tram to visit JBR or the Dubai Marina Mall. “I have a tram station right in front of my building. It’s not practical for me to use the tram to my workplace in Tecom, but I will definitely use it on weekends when I am visiting JBR or Dubai Marina Mall. I think the Dubai Tram project makes Dubai look very sophisticated,” the PR executive told XPRESS.
The seven carriage tram - with a capacity of 405 passengers – will run 10.6 km from Dubai Marina to Al Sufouh in the first phase. It will stop at 11 stations and pass through JBR, Dubai Knowledge Village, Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City.
Besides the Palm Jumeirah Monorail in Al Sufouh it will also be connected to Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Dubai Marina Metro stations. Like the Metro, the tram will have separate carriages for gold and silver class, women and children. The tram has unique features including the world’s first tram stations with syncronised platform screen doors. The tram will be operated by on-ground electric wiring with no overhead cables.
Eleven trams will be launched in the first phase. By 2020 the number will go up to 25. According to the Roads and Transport Authority, use of headphones and mobile phones will not be permitted around the tracks. The ban is aimed at preventing any untoward incident that could occur if pedestrians and motorists using these gadgets get distracted.
The Dubai Tram will be special-needs friendly with two spaces allocated for people with wheelchairs or mobility aids. Tram fares can be only paid through Nol cards.
Did you know?
You can plan your Dubai Tram journey by downloading an app ‘Wojhati’
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(with inputs from Sharmila Dhal, Chief Reporter)
