Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has sanctioned a project to establish exclusive lanes for buses and taxis along six key thoroughfares, stretching across a combined distance of 13.1 kilometers.
The streets earmarked for this initiative comprise Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, 2nd of December, Al Satwa, Al Nahda, Omar bin Al Khattab, and Naif Streets.
This endeavor forms part of Dubai's broader strategy to enhance its dedicated bus lane network, with the aim of extending it to a total length of 20.1 kilometers by the years 2025 to 2027, as outlined in a statement by the Dubai Media Office.
Mattar Al Tayer, the Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Directors at RTA, emphasized the global precedent of dedicated lanes for public transportation, which aims to incentivize residents to opt for public transit over private vehicles. Al Tayer highlighted the project's objectives, including reducing travel times, improving adherence to bus schedules, boosting public transport ridership, enhancing taxi services, cutting operational expenses, promoting transport integration, and mitigating emissions. These objectives align with Dubai's strategic goals of fostering integration, well-being, and public transport satisfaction.
Al Tayer outlined the anticipated benefits of the expansion, with expected reductions in bus travel times ranging from 24 percent to 59 percent during peak hours across different streets. He also projected improvements in bus arrival times, with enhancements of up to 56 percent on designated routes.
Moreover, Al Tayer underscored the potential increase in public transport usage by up to 30 percent on certain roads, coupled with reduced bus requirements, leading to substantial time savings. Previous phases of the dedicated bus lanes project have already yielded positive results, including a five-minute reduction in trip times per bus on certain routes, translating to a 24 percent improvement.
The RTA had previously introduced dedicated bus lanes spanning a total of 7 kilometers, including combined bus and taxi lanes on Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road, Naif Street, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah Street, and Al Ghubaiba Road.
These initiatives reflect the RTA's commitment to enhancing public transportation infrastructure, promoting sustainable mobility, and improving overall transport efficiency in Dubai.
