Dubai’s transport infrastructure will get a $22 billion facelift with a range of road, rail and marine projects to be completed by 2020, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced Sunday.
The ambitious plan, aimed at alleviating the city’s growing traffic congestion, allocates $12 billion for new roads, $2.5 billion each for marine transport and tram systems, $6.3 billion for the Dubai Metro and $600 million for new buses.
Speaking at the inaugural UITP MENA Public Transport Congress and Showcase, RTA Director of Strategic Planning Abu Shebab said the the public transport initiative is aimed at reducing the emirate’s reliance on cars.
The Dubai Metro, for example, will have the capacity to cater for an expected 650 million cross-city journeys per year.
“We expect 1.5 million person trips in daily morning traffic by 2020,” Shebab said, reported UAE weekly Xpress.
“Construction is already under way for 310-kilometre long metro. Once the Red Line of the metro is commissioned, the construction of the tram service spread across an area of 270 kilometres will start off,” he added.
It is hoped that Dubai’s Metro service will alleviate overcrowding on the cities roads and allow for greater mobility between key destinations like conference centers and airports.
“The Purple Line of the metro would basically be a connector for the two airports,” Al Khaja said. “It could be ready anywhere in 2012. The Blue Line is under study at the moment and can be ready anywhere between 2012 and 2015,” said Abdul Majid Al Khaja, the CEO of the Rail Agency of the RTA, reported UAE daily Khaleej Times.
The plan also provides for an additional 1,300 buses at a cost of 600 million with 800 new air-conditioned bus shelters throughout the city.
The construction plan also includes 500 kilometres of new roads, with 96 new interchanges and nine new ring roads.
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