Dubai: Various infrastructure projects commissioned by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) from 2006 have saved Dh262 billion, Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA revealed.
These savings are primarily from reduced time, and fuel wasted due to traffic congestion. At the same time, the amount allocated by the government for the development of roads and transport systems during that period was Dh140 billion, demonstrating a remarkable return on investment.
These figures were revealed by Al Tayer when he was delivering a keynote address titled ‘Leading Mega Projects and Strategic Transformations’ at the ninth edition of the Dubai International Projects Management Forum (DIPMF) in Dubai.
Massive boost
The number of public transport riders skyrocketed- from 95 million in 2006 to nearly half a billion in 2022. This surge boosted the share of trips made by public transport from 6 per cent to 21.6 per cent. RTA’s reported revenues amounted to Dh8.9 billion in 2022.
The investment in transport infrastructure has ensured increased safety of the resident commuters. A dramatic 90 per cent reduction in road accident fatalities was observed - from 21.9 per 100,000 population in 2006 to just 1.9 in 2022, Al Tayer noted in his address.
The RTA has seen remarkable successes in accomplishing mega projects on time. Notable among these are the Red and Green lines of the Dubai Metro, the Dubai Tram, Route 2020 of the Dubai Metro, and the Dubai Water Canal, he said.
Huge returns
“Investment in infrastructure is a significant driver of the economic growth of every city worldwide. For instance, the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) in some of our road projects is anticipated to reach Dh8.8 by 2030. That is, the economic return for every dirham invested is expected to reach Dh8.8.
“Similarly, the Dubai Metro, having achieved a break-even point between benefits and costs in 2016, is projected to yield a return of Dh4.3 for every dirham spent by 2030. Moreover, RTA’s projects and programmes resulted in a substantial reduction in carbon emissions during the period from 2014 to 2023, leading to savings nearing half a billion dirhams,” explained Al Tayer.
