Changes to public transport timings announced in Dubai

Dubai: Metro timings in Dubai will change as of Wednesday, it was announced by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on Tuesday.

A tweet from the RTA on Tuesday read, “To #DubaiMetro users, please be informed that effective tomorrow Wednesday, 27 May, metro operation timings will change to be from Saturday till Thursday from 7am until 12am and on Friday from 10am till 12am, until further notice.”

The announcement follows several changes to service timings due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent disinfection drives restricting the movement of people during certain times.

A full statement from RTA 

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has modified the service timings of public transport (metro, tram, buses, marine transport), taxis and shared transport as well as customers happiness centres, service provider centres, and paid parking zones as of Wednesday 27 May.

The revised timing is in line with the Resolution of Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management, taken in coordination with the Command and Control Centre for Combating Covid-19 to allow movement in Dubai from 6am to 11pm.

RTA will apply all preventive and proactive health measures highlighted by physical distancing onboard public transport means, and at the entry of transport stations and service centres. Riders and clients will be obliged to wear face masks for their safety and the safety of staffs and operators. RTA will continue with the existing procedures in taxis where the number of riders is restricted to two at the rear seat and using plastic isolators for higher safety levels.

Metro

Dubai Metro Red and Green Lines will operate from Saturday to Thursday from 7am to midnight, and on Friday, the service timing will be from 10am to midnight. The last journey on the Red Line from Rashidiya Station to the UAE Exchange Station will start at 10:54 pm, and the last journey from the UAE Exchange to Rashidiya Station will start at 10:53 pm. The last journey on the Green Line will start from the Creek Station to Etisalat Station at 11:21 pm, and the last journey from Etisalat Metro Station to the Creek Station will start at 11:20 pm.

RTA will operate 54 trains on the Red Line and 17 trains on the Green Line during peak hours to serve 46 stations. The service frequency during peak time will be 2:38 min on the Red Line and 5 min on the Green Line.

Tram

Dubai Tram will be in service from Saturday to Thursday from 7am to midnight, and on Friday the service timing will be from 10am to midnight. RTA will operate six tram-trains to serve 11 stations with a frequency of 8 minutes between journeys.

Buses

As for the city bus, 902 buses will start services on 142 routes starting from 6am to 11pm, and the intercity bus service will continue to be suspended until further notice. During the national disinfection programme, 74 buses will be operating on 13 routes namely: 8, 10, 12, A13, 17, C01, C07, F18, F21, F34, F43 and X23. These routes will serve 19 public and private hospitals.

Marine transport 

Marine transport means will be operating on seven lines from 7am to 10pm. Tourist lines, Dubai Water Canal lines as well as Al Ghubaiba-Sharjah Aquarium Stations line will remain closed.

Taxis

The taxi fleet, comprising 10,936 vehicles, and limousines amounting to 7,000 vehicles will be in service from 6am to midnight. The Taxi service will be operating during the national disinfection hours on-demand. Customers can book their taxi rides via smart apps. Shared transport (U drive and Ekar), Careem Bike service offering 780 bikes at 78 docking stations for rent, will be available from 6am to 11pm.

Customer Happiness Centres

As for customers happiness centres (Umm Ramool, Deira, and Barsha) and 21 out of 27 service providers centres will be open for customers from 8am to 4pm. The regular tariff will apply to paid parking zones from 8am to 10pm.

RTA has taken all precautionary measures for the safety of riders, clients, staffs and drivers. It has put in place a comprehensive disinfection system for daily sanitization of trains, buses, vehicles, stations and centres. RTA is making every effort to foster a safe and secure environment for all riders and customers.