Dubai Metro is coming along pretty well

Image Courtesy of Gulf News

I was listening to a radio interview with an official from Dubai Metro about the progress and roadmap for Dubai Metro. Then I came across this article about Dubai Metro. Both had one thing in common. They were highly ambitious and optimistic. And they had every reason to be that way. The project of Dubai Metro has the potential of changing the face of Dubai altogether, and it is very important for future of Dubai that Dubai Metro project executes successfully and achieves the targets it has set for itself.

One of the major problems that Dubai is facing today is increasing traffic. No matter how many roads and bridges are built, the traffic is still going to be a problem because there is no reliable and affordable public transport system. There are taxis but that’s hardly affordable and reliable. As a result people are forced to commute in private cars.

The main objective of Dubai Metro is to encourage people to leave their cars at home and use the public transport system. This includes the Metro rails, buses, and taxis all working together and complimenting each other. So, ideally, if a metro station is not within a walking distance of your home, a bus-stop should be. You can take the bus to a nearest metro station and take the train to a station nearest to your destination. The train-bus combination of urban transport has been working successfully for years in cities New York, Chicago, London and so on. One of the biggest advantages of using a metro is that you can accurately plan your trip because the trains strictly follow a schedule which makes it extremely reliable.

For Dubai Metro to be successful, it is very important that they price it right so that it is economical to leave your car behind and use the metro. If driving around town is cheaper than using metro then obviously people will choose to drive. We have seen many well designed projects failing because of poor execution or inconsiderate pricing. Dubai Metro cannot afford to have a similar fate.

I have a vision that someday I will be able to leave my car at home and use public transport for most of my commutes around Dubai. There is still a long way to go for this to become a reality. Slowly but surely, we are getting there.

September 9, 2009 is going to be an important day. That’s when first phase of Dubai Metro will start operating. I, for one, am looking forward to it.