Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will offer free rides on public transport for a day to mark Public Transport Day on November 1 for the second consecutive year.
Dedicated bus and taxi lanes will also be opened on Naif and Al Ittihad roads on this day. Al Mamzar exit on the road from Sharjah to Dubai dedicated to buses and taxis will also be opened on that day.
Like last year, Metro, bus and water bus rides will be offered free of cost on the day to Nol card-holders. In addition, a complimentary credit of Dh100 will be added to 50 customers who use public transport most frequently. The day is held to commemorate the establishing of RTA six years ago, and aims to popularise the use of public transport in Dubai.
Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, announced the second edition of the Public Transport Day yesterday, under the theme ‘Together We Move'.
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On November 1 last year, RTA's initiative received massive public support with about 606,390 people using public transport as compared to the daily average (in 2010) of 437,000.
Over 205,965 people took the Metro compared to a daily average of 140,000, and 394,325 passengers used public buses as compared to the average of 296,000, and 6,100 passengers used the water bus against 700 passengers on normal days.
By observing Public Transport Day, RTA hopes to demonstrate the benefits of choosing public transport such as psychological and physical comfort during the journey, savings on fuel costs and maintenance of vehicles, in addition to significant reduction of traffic fatalities and carbon emissions from vehicle exhausts, Al Tayer said in a statement yesterday.
The initiative aims to raise the profile of Dubai emirate in supporting programmes that contribute to the improvement of the environment and sustainable development, he said.
"The Public Transport Day initiative comprises a host of programmes... Besides the free rides on the Metro, public buses and the water bus to Nol card-holders, RTA will also kick-start Phase II of the dedicated bus and taxi lane programme which covers part of Naif Road extending 1km from Al Musalla Road up to Al Khaleej Road, and Al Ittihad Road in a sector extending 1km in the direction from Sharjah to Dubai starting from the entry point of Dubai emirate up to Al Nahda Interchange."
On Naif Road the dedicated lane was added by removing the parking slots on the right-hand side of the road while leaving the left-hand side parking unchanged.
