Dubai Metro sees cuts to staff, trains in cost saving drive

Tuesday, 15 March 2011 10:15 PM

On board the Dubai Metro

Transport chiefs have reduced the number of employees working for Dubai Metro operator Serco as part of a plan to cut costs, it was revealed on Tuesday.

Dubai's Rail Agency, part of the Roads and Transport Authority, also cut back the number of daily trains in operation and reviewed maintenance processes to achieve savings of AED7.5m, state news agency WAM reported.

It said the same initiatives would apply to the Green Line of the rail system, which is due to launch in August, to achieve estimated savings of AED47m.

The measures were part of a major cost saving plan implemented in 2010, WAM said, but no further details were given on the scale of the Dubai Metro cost savings.

Adnan Al Hammadi, the CEO of RTA Rail Agency, said the company had rolled out as many as 15 different initiatives last year, aimed at slashing costs and hiking revenues.

"The majority of initiatives undertaken have been carried out in a phased manner over the year," he added in comments published by WAM.

"There were some procedures taken as regards the contract made with the Dubai Metro operator Serco Co. in terms of reducing the number of employees, number of daily trains in operation, working hours, and maintenance processes among other steps taken on the Red Line resulting in savings of about AED7.5m," he said.

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Posted by: anna Thursday, 17 March 2011 2:07 PM[UAE] - UAE

Well, I also think RTA should build a separate metro line to Al Awir Central jain, since more and more people are finding themselves in jail in Dubai, and one line from the Jail to the airport to deport more and more people more efficiently.

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Posted by: Jebel Ali Baba Thursday, 17 March 2011 10:36 AM[UAE] - UAE

OMG, soon we will see the first heavy accident of the Dubai Metro due a lack of safety, maintenance and supervision. I always thought, the metro is the big money maker and highly frequented?

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Posted by: lee Wednesday, 16 March 2011 4:29 PM[UAE] - UAE

a better idea would be to actually make the Metro more usable and in better locations. With Summer approaching who is going to walk to a Metro station? Another example of wasted money and bad planning. Anyone who has experienced such mass transport systems in hot countries will tell you they are linked through networks underground through Malls and various buildings etc. Who in their right mind is going to walk half a mile in the midday sun to get on a train and then walk again at your destination. Taxis are cheap and these days plentiful, the Metro just isn't an option unless you live within spitting distance and likewise your destination.

Posted by: charles Thursday, 17 March 2011 3:32 PM[UAE] - uae

wish that was true Langyaw. Feeder buses are very hit and miss and usually involve a tremendous tour to and from a station. Journey time with feeder bus and Metro increases phenomenally unless you are lucky enough to live and work near to a station. The infrastructure to support Metro usage is sadly not a sufficient inducement to forego the car and taxi. I hope one day it will be so. Till then for most of us, it is something you try every now and again with visitors, not on a regular basis and certainly not meetings etc.

Posted by: langyaw Thursday, 17 March 2011 2:13 PM[UAE] - UAE

where've you been, @lee? the red line has gone through one summer already, but this has not discouraged people from taking them to and from their destinations. ridership has been in record numbers. such thoughts have been expressed already when the plan for the metro was first publicized.
it is simply impossible to put a stop / station at whatever point people wish. these stations have all been strategically identified to accommodate the most-frequented places. these are the "better locations". tunneling the approaches to the stations, IMHO, are unnecessary as there are feeder buses (and taxis!) to supplement the trains.
if you're traveling more than a 10-Dirham taxi ride, and your destination is along the metro, it is still economic to take the metro.

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Posted by: Chris J Wednesday, 16 March 2011 2:59 PM[UAE] - UAE

Two weeks ago the Metro were trumpeting improved services and greater frequency in an Arabian Business article.
What a difference two weeks makes!

Posted by: Baba ji Wednesday, 16 March 2011 7:08 PM[UAE] - UAE

Welcome to GCC Chris ... Two weeks ? well, you must have read in local newspapers that Dubai is out of recession too ;)

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Posted by: Will Wednesday, 16 March 2011 2:59 PM[UAE] - UAE

some ideas:
Allow people to buy discounted season tickets, this will increase loyalty and give money up front for RTA to use.
Speed up trains by shortening door open times.
Start trains earlier (first trains are jammed)
Increase frequency to make it a more pleasant experience at peak periods.
Run later at night, Dubai is a late town.

Posted by: langyaw Thursday, 17 March 2011 2:13 PM[UAE] - UAE

run the trains early on Fridays, too!
RTA should have no problem with this since the metro is computer controlled. they can hire people to man the computers with people who have no objection about working on Fridays.

Posted by: George Wednesday, 16 March 2011 5:17 PM[UAE] - Russia

Awesome comment, the right way to think. all big cities run their subways just like you describe here!