Dubai's Transport Updates 2024 : Your Easier Commute Guide
You don’t need to have been in Dubai for long to realize that traffic is a major talking point. The city’s traffic is often crammed, congested, and frustrating, but Dubai is well aware of the problems. Many changes have been put in place this year to make getting around easier, focusing on buses, roads, and taxis. Below, we keep you up to date on the major work completed this year and the projects announced in 2024.
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Dubai Traffic: Buses
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has been busy improving the bus service in Dubai with changes to routes, new stations, and dedicated bus lanes. The bus network currently covers 82 percent of the urban areas in Dubai and transports more than 360,000 passengers per day.
- New Stations: The Stadium Bus Station opened in May in Al Qusais, next to the existing Metro station.
- Faster Trips: Routes 62, X02, X23, X22, X13, X25, X92, X64, and X94 have been optimized for quicker travel times.
- Schedule Improvements: The schedules of 30 routes, including 19, 23, 27, 43, 62, C04, C10, C15, C18, D03, E102, E307, E400, F08, F17, F22, F23, F23A, F24, F51, W20, X02, X13, X22, X23, X25, X28, X64, X92, and X94, have been improved.
- New Routes: A new bus service between Dubai Studio City and Damac Hills 2 started on July 1.
- Route Cancellation: The old 91A route was discontinued.
Dubai Traffic: Dubai Metro
- New Line: Work on the new blue Dubai Metro line has begun.
- Future Expansion: Two more railway systems have been announced, and the city plans to more than double the current number of Metro stations by 2040. Currently, there are 64 stations, expected to increase to 96 by 2030 and 140 by 2040.
Dubai Traffic: Roads
Congestion remains a significant issue as Dubai's infrastructure struggles to keep pace with the growing population.
- Al Khail Road Improvement Project: This project, impacting areas like Al Quoz 1, Ghadeer Al Tair, Jumeirah Village Circle, Meydan, and Zabeel, began in 2024. The first sections, including road widening at Al Jaddaf and Business Bay, are already complete.
- Completed Projects: Enhancements have been made to roads in Al Mankhool, a new free exit on Dubai Marina, and a new U-turn on Umm Suqeim Street.
- Al Shindagha Corridor Project: Phase four is 45 percent complete, expected to reduce journey times from 104 minutes to just 16 minutes on key roads.
- Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Roads Improvement Project: This project is 75 percent complete and includes four bridges designed to handle 17,600 vehicles per hour.
- Other Announcements: A Dhs332 million project to cut travel time on Umm Suqeim Street and a Dhs431 million project to introduce entry and exit points for 6,000 vehicles per hour at Dubai Harbour.
Dubai Traffic: Taxis
- Airport Fleet Expansion: The taxi fleet at Dubai International Airport has doubled to 700 vehicles.
- Fleet Growth: The Dubai Taxi Company continues to add more taxis monthly.
- Future Innovations: A fleet of flying taxis is expected by the end of 2025.
- In-Taxi Entertainment: 4,500 touch screens have been added to cabs, ensuring passengers can stay entertained even during traffic jams.
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Dubai Traffic: Marine
- Service Expansion: Plans were announced late last year to expand marine transport services by 188 percent.
- Data-Driven Operations: The RTA is now using data to analyze and optimize the operational schedules of water taxis, abras, and ferries.
- New Lines: Two major marine transport lines connecting Dubai Creek Harbour with Al Khor Metro station and Dubai Festival City have been developed to improve the customer experience.
Dubai Traffic: Trams
There have been no significant changes to the tram service in 2024, aside from a brief disruption during the April storm.
These updates highlight Dubai's ongoing efforts to tackle traffic congestion and enhance the transport infrastructure, making commuting in the city smoother and more efficient for everyone.