Plans are in place for reopening Dubai Metro, buses and taxis
It’s one of the clearest indications yet that Dubai is set to slowly resume normal practises…
After a strict city-wide lockdown, due to the 24-hour sterilisation programme, plans have been revealed to implement the reopening of Dubai’s transport facilities, including Dubai Metro, buses and taxis.
Dubai Economy issued a circular on April 22, which outlines plans for parts of the city to reopen, such as malls, shops and transport. It looks to be the clearest indication yet that Dubai is set to slowly resume normal practise.
For the moment, Dubai’s strict 24-hour ‘stay at home’ policy is still in place.
In the Transport and Logistics section of the document, it states that the Dubai Metro will “reopen within a maximum period of one week”, which looks like it could be Wednesday, April 28.
Strict social-distancing measures have been outlined in the plan, to ensure public safety on the Dubai Metro. It includes mandatory wearing of protective face masks for employees and passengers, and reducing passenger flow to the carriages.
The plan outlines that Dubai Metro services will operate for 12 hours a day in the first phase of reopening, and will look to extend operations to 20 hours per day, “based on direction of the government during full recovery”.
The Red Line will be the first to resume operations, running from 7am to 7pm, except for stations within restricted areas. This will be followed by the Green Line. During peak hours, a waiting time of three minutes will be activated.
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The plan also outlines restrictions for Dubai buses, including the closure of air-conditioned waiting areas, and strict social distancing measures.
Plans are in place to increase the number of operating lines and reopen all bus lines across the city within the next two to four weeks. However, the document notes that service times will be adjusted as needed and backup buses will be provided to support crowded stations.
Transport activities not included in the sector include water transport, car sharing (Udrive and Ekar), trams and limo services.
It looks like the official announcement will come via Dubai Media Office, and we’ll be sure to update you when it does.
Images: Social