Dubai buses help drive environmental cause

For some time now I have abandoned driving and rely on taxis to get around in Dubai.

A few days ago, I was waiting for a taxi and just happened to be near a bus stop. Having lived for a long time in Europe and used public transport extensively, I thought I should try these nice-looking Dubai buses.

The bus came before a taxi and just happened to be going my way, so I jumped on not knowing even how to pay the fare. It turned out to be easy and I have a ticket for 10 trips at a cost of a fraction of what I'd pay using taxis. I'm not promoting Dubai buses, but they are among the best I've been on.

We all realise that energy use is important and affects the economy and environment. Conservation of energy use is sure to benefit both and preserves resources for the future. Public transport is a way of conservation in addition to reducing air pollution, traffic jams, risks of accidents, and optimising the overall cost of mobility.

Fifty years ago, transport energy use was 15 to 20 per cent of total energy consumption in the world, and today it's probably over 50 per cent. Road transport relies almost exclusively on oil products which are becoming increasingly more difficult to produce in quantities sufficient enough to meet current and future demand. There is so much gasoline and diesel in natural crude oil and in order to produce more, we have to refine more oil or crack the oil residue to produce the desired fuels in highly complex and expensive processes.

Energy per passenger-kilometre is almost 40 per cent for a full load bus compared to that of a fully loaded car, and when the bus is only 10 per cent occupied, the energy per passenger-kilometre would still be 80 per cent of that of a single occupancy private car. No matter how you look at it, the saving of fuel is enormous, especially as private cars are poorly occupied most of the time. Fuel saving means less emissions of pollutants, and public transport is a minority contributor to pollution. As measured in grams per passenger-kilometre, carbon monoxide emission is less than 10 per cent for a bus compared to a private car, and nitrogen oxides emissions are less than 40 per cent. The carbon dioxide emission, that important parameter for those concerned about climate change, is also lowered greatly by the extensive use of public transport. As measured in grams per passenger-kilometre, carbon dioxide emission is 33 per cent for a bus, 26 for a double-decker bus, and 78 for a private car, all fully loaded. These numbers are from Handbook of Transport and Environment published in 2003, and I am almost certain that with fuel and engine specification improving, more positive results can be obtained today.

Dubai buses currently use 50 parts per million (ppm) sulphur diesel fuel, and this is imported because locally produced diesel is 500 ppm sulphur. However, plans are under way to improve diesel sulphur levels as early as 2012 and 10 ppm sulphur diesel grade will become mandatory across the UAE. Sulphur is the enemy of fuel, engine and the environment and therefore emissions' results will be positively enhanced once the new fuel becomes available. The fact that these buses are also fitted with selective catalytic reduction components on their exhaust system means less pollution.

I was surprised by the extent of the bus network in Dubai, which started with 60 routes and now has 85, and the number of passengers is increasing. In 2008, more than 2 million trips carried 94 million passengers, and considering the prevailing social habits and the short time the network has been in existence, these numbers are encouraging yet more public awareness efforts are needed to improve them.

- Saadallah Al Fathi is former Head of Energy Studies Department in Opec Secretariat, Vienna.