Metro officials pledge to keep fares low

METRO JOURNEY: Transport chiefs have pledged to keep fares low on the new Metro system. (Getty Images)

Transport chiefs in Dubai have pledged to keep down passenger fares on the new $4.2 billion Metro system.

A ride between two stations will cost less than 10 dirhams, officials from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said.

The Metro chiefs also told UAE daily Khaleej Times that they were considering the introduction of a zoning system to determine fares - similar to other cities worldwide with Metro systems.

They were currently studying various aspects of other Metro systems around the world but officials allayed fears that the fare would be high.

“Fares in all Metro systems across the world are very economical and the same will apply in Dubai too,” the official told the paper.

Transport bosses are confident that the daily grind of traffic jams in Dubai will be eased by the opening of the city's Metro, and claim it will reduce vehicle movements by 17 percent each day.

The RTA says the project is still on target to open the first line of the network in September 2009.

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Practical?
Posted by DeltaSly on Thursday 25 September 2008 at 20:28 UAE time

As I have to be mobile to visit sites from Ajman to Abu Dhabi and all over Dubai I would not be taking the metro on a daily basis at all.
So my car is still on the road.

If I want to go out for the evening with my family I will have to contend with crowded compartments of lower income persons and then I probably still have to get a cab to whichever eatery I need to go to.

On the way back I (fairly late) there will probably be a good couple of lads who have partook in the fruits of the vine crammed into the compartment.

Metro? Essential? Novelty? Marvel?

Tokyo Metro price
Posted by Salim ALSuwaidi, Sharjah, UAE on Thursday 25 September 2008 at 09:27 UAE time

I've been to Tokyo and their Metro pay system is very cheap.

I can buy a ticket for full day in approx 30 dirhams only for full day use, in any metro company in Tokyo.

I wonder how cheap will the RTA plan to go here in dubai, I believe not cheaper than hat i said if we compare Tokyo and Dubai, Tokyo is the world most expensive capital city in the world, in transporting via Metro will beat Dubai in all meaning.

Roll on Emiratisation
Posted by Graham Plater, Munich, Germany on Wednesday 24 September 2008 at 19:23 UAE time


Annlar, thanks for your comments. You mentioned that there are "plenty more" people waiting to come to Dubai and be exploited. Well, bad news travels fast. Maybe not everyone feels compelled to move to Dubai to enjoy the hype, some people merely wish for a regular job and a little money to send home. That used to be the way, but now enough people are going home to spread the news about the skyrocketing cost (and low standard) of living for normal people in the UAE. And about the treatment they get...... So let’s hope that those not completely blinded by the gold-plating heed the warnings and stay home, thereby speeding up the “Emiratisation” process :-)

To Graham Plater and his comment...
Posted by annlar, NYC, USA on Tuesday 23 September 2008 at 23:48 UAE time


Sounds like the perfect 'can't win for losing' project.

Not that getting cars off the roads, resulting in less traffic accidents/death and injuries, wouldn't have been a good idea. But against what you outlined there, it's just another no win situation for the daily commuter.

Roads for the rich
Posted by Graham Plater, Munich, Germany on Tuesday 23 September 2008 at 11:54 UAE time


Interesting... The Consultant thinks that "Taking lower-middle class cars off the road will clear the streets for wealthier individuals, who will be prepared to pay higher charges in order to continue driving everywhere". How considerate! It might make sense to ask oneself how people will ever get to the Metro - will they walk it - especially in summer? Take a bus (unlikely)? Or drive there... only to spend hours looking for a place to park? In view of the planned fare and related costs it will still make more economic sense to use a car if you already own one - after all, people will be paying lots of money just to leave it parked so why not use that money to go places? And nothing will change, clogged highways and RTA pockets clogged with money from a captive audience...

Metro fares
Posted by The Consultant, Dubai, UAE on Tuesday 23 September 2008 at 09:13 UAE time


AED 5 -10 per trip makes sense if you look at it from the government's perspective (but not necessarily the man on the street's). The people that they are targeting are the lower middle class commuters, i.e. people that do not earn a huge salary but can just about afford a car at the moment, as it is these cars that they want to get off the roads. As well as beating the traffic, they will be given further "encouragement" to switch through increased road tolls and parking charges.

If you make it too cheap, people that cannot afford a car and currently travel by bus will just switch to the metro, leaving no room for the current car-using public.

Taking lower-middle class cars off the road will clear the streets for wealthier individuals, who will be prepared to pay higher charges in order to continue driving everywhere.

Fair? Probably not. Effective? Only time will tell.

metro
Posted by John Stevens, dubai, uae on Monday 22 September 2008 at 13:08 UAE time


nisanth, you would do well to follow your own advice. you seem overcome with the desire to demonstrate your ability to perform basic arithmetic. when has the dubai government ever done anything to warrant the distrust of the people that live here? the whole reason for the metro is to alleviate traffic, 10dhs is worth getting to work in 10 minutes as opposed to an hour.

10 Dhs
Posted by Khalid on Saturday 13 September 2008 at 15:32 UAE time


Nishanth..I believe they mean less than 10 DHs from any one station to another. So if you get in at station 1 and get off at station 20 its still 10 dhs. I.e. less than 10 for one trip not 10 dhs per station. That would make it more expensive than taxis which wont ever work.

besides they should be looking at introducing weekly and monthly passes that will encourage ppl to use it frequently

10 dhs is too high
Posted by muhammad irfan, dubai, U.A.E on Thursday 11 September 2008 at 19:28 UAE time


Does anyone know what the average labourer salary is in Dubai(in most cases AED 1500 is too much to say). People who fall in the high income category will have no problem usuing there own top of the range cars and paying salik. Best thing would be to keep the fares in the same level of the current public bus transport system. And yes looking at beijing metro system, high capacity water buses and all that mentioned by Mr Graham sounds very good.

10 dhs is very very expensive price ...
Posted by musty, Dubai, UAe on Thursday 11 September 2008 at 18:28 UAE time

Metro fare should not cost more then 3 dhs per trip.

Cant understand the pricing policy and media behaviour
Posted by Nishanth Nottath, Dubai, UAE on Thursday 11 September 2008 at 09:53 UAE time

One thing I can never understand is why media do not question statements with a bit of common-sense. 'Authorities pledge to keep fares low' i.e 10 dhs between two stations? Are you joking? 10 Dhs per station means if they are 52 stations will the charges be 520 Dhs?!! Please use a bit of that grey old thing God has all given us before publishing under-cooked information.

Metro
Posted by Graham Young, Doha, Qatar on Wednesday 10 September 2008 at 21:57 UAE time

I hope the officals visit the Beijing Metro - 2 DHS for anywhere on the system

Highway to hell
Posted by Graham Plater, Munich, Germany on Wednesday 10 September 2008 at 18:18 UAE time


The best thing about the Metro going into service is the closing of the building sites wreaking havoc upon road traffic in Dubai. As for the Metro itself, the only people who will make intensive use of it are those who do not have a car and do not contribute to the traffic mess anyway (only if they take a bus). Without ample, free parking and a truly capillary system to bring people to the Metro and redistribute them at the end of their journey, it is just a monumental waste of time and money - "low" fares will not make much difference. What would have helped is the world's largest FREE car park behind Festival City (with quick access to Emirates Road) and a high-capacity water bus system ferrying people up and down the Creek where they can then board mid-size buses for the last leg of their journey, or take the Metro. It took the highly imaginative powers years to conceive something similar - with boats seating 12 (!) people. Even an “abra” carries more passengers! All in all, another example of lack of foresight - whatever the self-enamoured decision makers think.

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