The Public Transport Agency, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) confirmed that its public buses had lifted 38,616,365 riders during the first quarter of this year, compared with 37,654,468 riders lifted during the same period last year. The figure indicates a growth rate of about 2.5% in bus ridership.

Basel Saad Ibrahim, Director of Buses, RTA Public Transport Agency, said, “The sustained increase in the ridership of public buses in Dubai is indicative of the growing culture of using public transport means amongst various community segments. It underscores RTA’s keenness to provide solid & spacious buses offering accurate service integrated with other mass transit modes such as the metro, tram and marine transport. It is also attributable to the facilities associated with these transit modes such as stations and air-conditioned bus shelters across Dubai, including 100 smart air-conditioned shelters offering various smart services to the public.

“The RTA is working to complement the public transport network in the Emirate to further enhance the strategic drive of the RTA to reduce the use of private vehicles and augment the use of mass transit means to make it the ideal mobility choice in Dubai. The RTA is endeavoring to push the share of public transport in people’s mobility to 30% by 30%. This share has grown from 6% in 2006 to 15% in 2015 and reached 24% in 2016 with taxicab share. The public transport modes are the optimal means to ensure sustained transportation considering the massive number of vehicles on roads and the harmful gas emissions generated. The public are therefore invited to use mass transit means to conserve the environment and maintain the public health standards,” added Saad.