Dubai: Metro commuters will have a chance to be part of a Guinness World Record attempt on Thursday morning when the most diverse group of multinational riders will hop on a train from Etisalat Metro Station.
Part of the Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) Public Transport Day celebrations, the attempted record is among a series of activities that will also see commuters wining prizes worth Dh150,000.
The event, which celebrates the 13th anniversary of the RTA, aims to support Dubai’s efforts to improve the environment and achieve sustainable development.
A campaign leading up to the Public Transport Day was launched in October 22 offering commuters a chance to win, with each trip on any of the mass transit means earning triple the Loyalty Points on Nol Plus.
Five public transport riders including one person of determination will be selected as winners of prizes amounting to Dh100,000.
Five other public transport riders from among RTA employees will be selected as winners of prizes amounting to Dh50,000.
The run up to the Public Transport Day also saw university students using public transport taking a one-minute video footage to be part of RTA’s social media competition. The challenge started on October 22 and winners will be announced on Thursday.
Activities on Thursday will include a chance to catch up with celebrities and stars using public transport.
For the first time, dedicated activities have been designed for the People of Determination. One of the activities will see a group of People of Determination assembling at Rashidiya Metro Station and heading together on a journey to Al Jafliya Metro Station before travelling by a bus to Etihad Museum where they will take part in a workshop.
On Thursday, tourists will have a chance to move hands-free. Dubz Company, a specialist in luggage movers, will transport the luggage of 100 tourists from the Airport to any place in Dubai, while the selected tourists will be offered Nol cards, offering them the experience of entering the city without hand-held luggage while travelling by the metro or buses.
Commuters can also take part in the Nol matching contest, which involves two participants among public transport riders; bearing Nol cards that together complete an image of a gift. Each contestant has to search for the other.
The contestants can also search for the other half of their Nol gift image through Instagram by using the hashtag #WeMoveTogether. Once the image is completed the participants can approach the RTA through its call centre (8009090) for the prizes.
“RTA is making renewed efforts to make public transport the ideal mobility choice of people in Dubai in the daily movement to work or leisure. The future plan is to improve the infrastructure and efficiency of public transport means and offer more smart services to the public,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA.
He added that the RTA has made considerable progress in Route 2020 Project involving the extension of the Dubai Metro Red Line to the site of Expo 2020.
He said the RTA is planning to widen the bus network to cover 20 new areas and improve the current services across the city based on critical demographic changes by 2020.
The number of air-conditioned bus stops will increase from 623 to 787 in 2020, and the number of buses will rise from 1,507 to 1,917 by 2020.
Dubai’s public transport network has become the backbone of mobility in the city, transporting 551m riders in 2017, up from 163m riders in 2006.
