In 2024, public transport and services for the joint use of transport in Dubai served 747.1 million passengers, which is 6.4% more than in 2023 when the number of passengers was 702 million. Mattar Al Tayer, General Director and Chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai, expressed satisfaction with the stable annual growth of passenger traffic in public transport and an increase of 28% in the number of users of the joint transport services compared to 2023. In particular, the Dubai Tram transported 9.4 million passengers, which is 6% more.
Autonomous buses, capable of reaching speeds up to 40 km/h, are designed for short distances and have a capacity of 10 to 20 passengers. In 2024, a growth of 6% is expected compared to 2023, allowing reach a record indicator of 69.9 million passengers. 62% of passengers prefer traveling by metro and buses, while the number of users of joint transport services increased by 28% compared to 2023. In total, 153 million trips were made on public transport, joint transport services and taxis in 2024.
Al-Tayer emphasized that the Dubai Metro is the largest part of passenger traffic in 2024, making up 37%. He also noted that in recent months the number of passengers ranged from 54 to 65 million. The increase in the number of trips due to different types of public transport services and joint transport services speaks to consistent investments and efforts aimed at developing the infrastructure of public transport in Dubai.
In 2024, services for the joint use of transport, including smart applications for taxi calls, hourly rentals, and shuttle buses, showed a 28% increase, carrying 56 million passengers. Besides this, premium transport services (limousines) transported 19 million passengers. Taxis, including Dubai taxis and franchise companies, remain a key form of transport, carrying 200.6 million passengers, which is 1% more than in 2023.
The expansion of dedicated lanes for buses and taxis allowed to increase passenger traffic by 10%, improve bus arrival times by 42%, and reduce travel times by 41%. There are plans to expand the system of dedicated tram lines to eight locations throughout the emirate. These innovations support RTA's efforts to expand and improve public transport for the convenience of residents and visitors of Dubai.
