DUBAI - Almost 60 percent of Dubai residents have not yet tried the new urban rail system since it opened in September as part of the government’s efforts to create a modern transport network and ease the city’s notorious traffic jams.
A new survey by market research firm YouGov shows only 1 percent of Dubai residents use the metro daily, while 14 percent use it at least once a week. One in four say they use it occasionally.
The poll was conducted in the mid October and covered 801 respondents of various ethnic and income groups across the UAE.
The 52-km Red Line opened for public use on September 10, but with only 10 of its 29 stations operating.
The remaining stations of the line, between Jebel Ali and Al Rashidiya, are expected to open by March.
In the second phase, the 23-km Green Line between the areas of Al Jadaf and Al Qusais will be launched in the last quarter of 2010.
About 30 percent of residents said they plan to ride the trains daily when all Metro stations are opened, while 43 percent said they may consider using the system every day.
A tenth of respondents were undecided while 18 percent do not plan to ride the trains regularly.
Only 3 percent of people think the part opening of metro has eased traffic congestion on Dubai roads, while 61 percent say the situation has not improved at all.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has deployed more than 700 feeder buses to connect users of the $7.6 billion rail system with various places in the city under a unified tarrif system.
According to the agency, 2.5 million passengers used the Metro during the first six weeks of its operation.