Transportation in Dubai

Transport in Dubai is controlled by the Roads and Transport authority. The public transport network, faces huge congestion and reliability issues, which a large investment programme is attempting to address, including over AED70 billion of improvements planned for completion by 2020, when the population of the city will exceed 3.5 million.

Dubai International Airport (IATA: DXB), the hub for Emirates Airline, services the city of Dubai and other emirates in the country. Dubai International Airport served a total of over 37 million passengers and handled over 1.8 million tons of cargo in 2008. In 2008, Dubai International Airport was the 20th busiest airport in the world and, with over 35 million international passengers, the 6th busiest international airport in the world, in terms of international passenger traffic. In addition to being an important passenger traffic hub, the airport is one of the busiest cargo airports in the world, handling 1.824 million tonnes of cargo in 2008, making it the 11th busiest airport in the world, a 9.4% increase of cargo traffic since 2007. Emirates Airline is the national airline of Dubai, and operates internationally to 101 destinations in 61 countries across 6 continents.

The development of Al Maktoum International Airport, currently under construction in Jebel Ali, was announced in 2004. The first phase is expected to be completed by 2010, and once operational the new airport will host foreign airlines and emirates with an exclusive terminal for them.

The Public Bus Transport system in Dubai is run by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The bus system services 140 routes and transported over about 109.5 million people in 2008. By the end of 2010, there will be 2,100 buses in service across the city. The Transport authority has announced the construction of 500 air-conditioned (A/C) Passenger Bus Shelters, and has plan for 1000 more across the emirates in a move to encourage the use of public buses.

A $3.89 billion Dubai Metro project is under construction for the emirate. The Metro system is expected to be partially operational by 2009 and fully operational by 2012. The metro will comprise four lines: the Green Line from Al Rashidiya to the main city center and the Red Line from the airport to Jebel Ali. It also has a blue and a purple line The Dubai Metro (Green and Blue Lines) will have 70 kilometers of track and 43 stations, 33 above ground and ten underground.

A monorail on the Palm Jumeirah opened in 2009. It is the first monorail to be built in the region. Two trams are expected trams to be built in Dubai by 2011. The first is the Downtown Burj Dubai Tram System and the second is the Al Sufouh Tram. The Downtown Burj Dubai Tram System is a 4.6 km tram service that is planned to service the area around the Burj Dubai, and the second tram will run 14.5 kilometres along Al Sufouh Road from Dubai Marina to the Burj Al Arab and the Mall of the Emirates.

One of the more traditional methods of getting across Bur Dubai to Deira is through abras, small boats that ferry passengers across the Dubai Creek, between abra stations in Bastakiya and Baniyas Road. The Marine Transport Agency, is in the process of implementing the Dubai Water Bus System.

There are two major commercial ports in Dubai, Port Rashid and Port Jebel Ali. Port Jebel Ali is the 7th busiest port in the world. Jebel Ali is the world's largest man-made harbour and the biggest port in the Middle East.

The government has invested heavily in the Dubai's road infrastructure, although this has not kept pace with the increase in the number of vehicles. This, coupled with the induced traffic phenomenon, has led to growing problems of congestion.

Dubai also has an extensive taxi system, by far the most frequently used means of public transport within the Emirate. There are both government-operated and private cab companies. There are around 7,500 taxis operating within the emirate.

Source - Wikipedia