The government of Dubai and RTA are doing lots of things to help ease the traffic in the city. We’ve rounded them up so you can see exactly the things in the pipeline or recent developments that will all help to ease the traffic in the city.

 

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RTA’s Rail Bus

Dubai Metro Blue Line Map

Metro Blue Line

Sky Pods

Flying Taxi

Flying Taxi

RTA Driverless Taxi

Sky Way

Hyperloop

weride-txai

 

RTA x Dubai Holding Megaproject

The recently announced 6 billion megaproject aims to reduce traffic delays in the chosen areas between 30 and 70 per cent and will be spearheaded by a collaboration between the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Holding. The project will implement a series of infrastructure reforms with the aim to dramatically improve traffic flow in a number of traffic bottlenecks across Dubai. Those areas include Dubai Islands, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Palm Gateway, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Park, Arjan, Majan, Liwan in Phase 1.

Phase 2 will alleviate traffic stress in Nad Al Hamar, Villanova, and Serena. Whilst Phase 3 will oversee the construction of new bridges and roads in Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Production City, Business Bay, Palm Jumeirah, and International City.

Upgrades to 19 areas

Last year, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced a major project to improve roads in 19 areas of the city. This means that 11.5km of road is about to get better.

Specific improvements will be in place to improve traffic flow with new road connections, so you can get in an out of areas easily and quickly. Other areas of improvement planned are pavements, roadside parking, and street lights, so both drivers and pedestrians will be happy to hear that. Some areas that will be improved are Mirdif, Umm Suqeim 1, Jumeirah 1, Al Satwa, Al Barsha 1 and more.

New Access Points

RTA launched another major infrastructure upgrade to improve access points for four key neighbourhoods: Nadd Hessa, Al Awir 1, Al Barsha South, and Wadi Al Safa 3.

The project introduces new entry and exit points along major roads, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Emirates Road, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, and Hessa Street. These enhancements are set to cut travel times by up to 80 per cent while accommodating 50 to 80 per cent more vehicles.

Dhs3.7bn Internal Road Plan

In November of last year, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved a 3.7 million dirham internal road plan for the city. It encompasses 21 projects spreading across 12 residential, commercial, and industrial areas, with a total of 634km of new roads. The project roadworks are set to take five years, from 2025 to 2029.

5 New Bridges around Trade Centre Roundabout

Aiming to be complete in December 2026, five new bridges, spanning 5,000 metres in total, will connect five key roads around the Trade Centre Roundabout: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street, Sheikh Rashid Street, 2nd December Street, Zabeel Palace Street, and Al Mustaqbal Street.

Hessa Street Upgrade

Hessa Street is getting an upgrade with a two-lane bridge linking Hessa Street with Al Khail Road, cutting the usual 15-minute journey down to just 3 minutes. It’s part of a larger Dhs689 billion project aimed at transforming the area’s infrastructure. Alongside the bridge, four intersections are being upgraded – connecting Hessa Street with Sheikh Zayed Road, First Al Khail Road, Al Asayel Street, and Al Khail Road itself.

Hessa Street will expand from two to four lanes in each direction, doubling capacity to handle 16,000 vehicles per hour. The upgrades promise to ease congestion for the 640,000 residents projected to populate this growing area by 2030. The project is set to complete in the last quarter of 2025.

Changes to Sheikh Zayed Road

The traffic improvements include extending merging distances between Umm Al Sheif Street and Al Manara Street in the direction of Abu Dhabi, along with introducing an additional lane for traffic heading towards Al Manara, a modification to the exit of the service road in front of the Shangri-La Hotel and an extension of the merging distance between Al Marabi Street and Al Manara Street in the direction of Abu Dhabi.

The changes are set to increase vehicle capacity by 30 per cent, significantly improving entry and exit flows on the main road.

Parking Fee Increases

From February 2025, the price of parking rose in key areas across the city in order to encourage people to choose public transport. The new structure sees the flat rates for parking adjusted, with parking during peak hours set to rise from Dhs4 per hour to Dhs6 per hour. Areas will include Al Sufouh 2, The Knowledge Village, Dubai Media City, and Dubai Internet City, and effective February 1, parking in these areas will cost you Dhs4 per hour, and Dhs2 for 30 minutes.

The price of parking in event zones has also gone up significantly, which will be set at Dhs25 per hour. This will begin with areas around Dubai World Trade Centre from February 2025

New Salik Gates

As of Sunday November 24, the two new salik toll gates began operation, increasing the number of toll gates in Dubai from 8 to 10.

The new Salik roads in Dubai are the Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road and the second in Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road between Al Meydan Street and Umm Al Sheif Street.

The Business Bay Crossing gate is to alleviate traffic congestion by 12 to 15 per cent on Al Khail Road, decrease traffic volume by 10 to 16 per cent on Al Rabat Street, and redirect traffic to Al Maktoum and Al Garhoud bridges and Ras Al Khor Street. Meanwhile, Al Safa South aims to reduce right-turn traffic from Sheikh Zayed Road to Meydan Street by 15 per cent and optimize traffic flow on Financial Centre, First Al Khail, and Al Asayel streets.

Increase in Salik charges

For the first time ever, Dubai increased the Salik toll gates prices during rush hour. The crossings now cost Dhs6 instead of Dhs4 and the revised charges came into effect at the end of January 2025, with off-peak crossings remaining at Dhs4.

Rush hours are defined as 6am to 10am and 4pm to 8pm, while off-peak times fall between 10am and 4pm, and 8pm to 1am. For the night owls, crossing the gates will be free between 1am and 6am. Sundays, excluding public holidays, special occasions, or major events, will follow the off-peak rate of Dhs4.

Truck Ban

From January 1, 2025, The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police banned trucks during rush hour on Emirates Road to Sharjah.

The restriction on truck movement along this road, specifically the section between Al Awir Street and Sharjah will be in place during prime rush hour time, from 5.30pm to 8pm. This initiative is part of Dubai’s more general plan of reducing truck movement on key roads in Dubai. It aims to reduce congestion, increase traffic flow and generally increase road capacity for private vehicles.

New Bridge with Three Lanes

The Zaa’beel Palace Street Bridge opened last year in an attempt to ease traffic. Spanning 700-metres, the bridge connects Zaa’beel Palace Street and Oud Metha Road to Al Khail Road, directing traffic towards Jebel Ali/Abu Dhabi. The bridge, designed to handle up to 4,800 vehicles per hour, is a key feature of the Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) Al Khail Road improvement project, which was announced earlier this year.

Upgrades to 50 areas

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) says it has slashed traffic by 60 per cent in some areas after a series of traffic upgrades to 50 locations Areas improved include Beirut Street, improvements to the intersection of Al Khawaneej Street with Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Street and expansion of traffic movement from Al Rabat Street to Business Bay Crossing. There has also been an expansion of the exit from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Street to Al Rabat Street, plus a new route from Al Khail Street to Meydan Street. Read more here.

Dubai Walk Project

Announced by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Walk will see Dubai transformed into a pedestrian friendly with a new 6,500km networks of modern walkways. The integrated network will cover 160 areas across the emirate, and see 3,300km of new walkways added to the city, and 2,300km of existing pavement and pathway upgraded by 2040. A further 900km of walkway is forecast to be added in the years following 2040.

The whole masterplan is designed to connect the city for those who prefer to get around on foot, and as such 110 pedestrian bridges and underpasses will also be added to enhance connectivity. Why would you sit in the dreaded Dubai traffic if you could walk there?

Flying taxis

Coming to a stretch of horizon near you very soon… The RTA have recently stated that we can expect to see the first, fully electric flying taxis, transporting up to four passengers by Q1 of 2026. The team behind the sky cabs is Joby Aviation, and initial operations will ferry voyagers between four Vertiports: Dubai International Airport (DXB), Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Downtown. And they’ll do it pretty quickly, these mega drones are capable of speeds up to 320kph, and with zero traffic lights (or trams) up there in the big blue – you won’t have much idle time for podcasts and crosswords.

Seaglider

The Seaglider will transit passengers from Dubai to Abu Dhabi setting you back just Dhs165. The fully electric craft is a cross between a glider (a light aircraft) and boat. It combines the speed of an aircraft with the accessibility of a boat and is designed for travel between coastal cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It essentially uses the ‘wing-in-ground effect’ – a technology that has been around for over 60 years. It will be able to travel up to speeds of 290kph cutting down travel times. Read more here.

Driverless taxis

In 2021, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, announced the signing of an agreement between the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and Cruise, a leading US-based autonomous vehicle company that will operate self-driving taxis and ride-hailing services in the emirate. The agreement supports Dubai’s 2030 vision for self-driving technology. It also makes Dubai the first non-US city in the world where Cruise will commercially operate these vehicles.

These self-driving vehicles are expected to significantly improve road safety levels, as over 90 per cent of accidents are due to human errors. The vehicles are all-electric, environmentally friendly, and capable of serving a wide range of clients from different community segments, including seniors and people of determination.

The latest update on driverless cars was in December 2023, when His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, went on the first test ride of Cruise autonomous electric vehicle. Tests will continue, and RTA will announce a registration process allowing selected members of the public to use the Cruise ride-hailing app to experience the new mode of transportation.

Driverless pod rail system

At Gitex Global 2024, Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled plans for another new way to get around town that could see us saying goodbye to sitting in Sheikh Zayed Road traffic. The Floc Duo Rail is a self-driving, futuristic-looking electric pod rail system, and could become a hassle-free way to travel around Dubai.

It will be able to operate both suspended in the air and on the ground and could help passengers get either from A to B, or be used to take multiple passengers from certain points to other transport networks, such as the Dubai Metro. Read more here.

Sky Pods

These dangling cable car-looking contraptions are more correctly titled “Suspended Transport Systems”. HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense of the UAE, approved the 65km long network as part of Dubai’s Smart Mobility Strategy.

The service will connect Umm Suqeim Street, Al Khor, and Zabeel. Manufacturers claim it can reach speeds of up to 150kph and because they’re group transit and solar-powered, they can be five times as energy efficient as current-gen electric vehicles. Read more here.

Electric abra

In May 2023, Dubai’s RTA announced that it had begun trial operations of the ‘First Autonomous Electric Abra’. According to HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, the aim of launching the electric abra is to ‘convert 25 per cent of the total mobility journeys in Dubai into self-driving journeys by 2030′.

The electric abra will have reduced noise and zero carbon emissions and can operate and run fully ‘autonomous procedures independent of the captain’. The abra will be able to detect obstacles in the navigational path and intervene to avoid a crash during the journey and can even notify the control center of deviations from the operating plan. Read more here.

Etihad Rail

One of the UAE’s most ambitious travel projects is the 1,200km long Etihad Rail network. The massive project will link the seven emirates together but has plans for future ambitions that extend beyond our borders into the rest of the GCC. In fact, in September, the UAE signed a contract to work with Jordan on constructing a 360km rail network. Could this be the first tentative steps of the next phase of inter-regional passenger travel for the GCC?

For those traveling within the UAE, Etihad Rail has stated it will take just 57 minutes from Abu Dhabi city to Dubai and 105 minutes from Abu Dhabi city to Fujairah. But it’s not just passengers the new upcoming rail system will ferry. It will also transport cargo, and, as per Etihad Rail, commercial freight operations have already begun.

RTA’s Rail Bus

Plans for a Rail Bus have been announced by the RTA, an initiative aimed at the grand goal of the near future: easing traffic congestion on the roads. A different version of the Metro network, essentially, the Rail Bus will be a bus instead of a train on tracks and move on a network of bridges across the city. Specifications of the vehicle have been released as well – 11.5 metres in length, 2.65 metres in width, sailing at speeds of 100 km/h.

Minibus sharing service

The introduction of a new mini bus sharing service, launched by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) last year is offering flexible, wallet-friendly services to residents, the Bus Pooling initiative allows residents to book a seat on a shared minibus through one of three different apps. Rather than having fixed routes or schedules, the mini buses are able to be flexible to the needs of those using the service, picking up and dropping off based on the needs of passengers.

The Blue Line Metro

Dubai Metro’s currently under-construction, third network – the Blue Line has some pretty interesting features to it. Top of the tantalising train facts list is that, the majority of the 30m track will be underground (about 15.5km in total) to a depth of up to 70 metres, with five of the proposed 14 stations being designated as ‘underground stations’.  For all the up-to-date information on the Blue Line and a glimpse at its projected route map, check out our full guide on the project. Take the metro instead of sitting in Dubai traffic? Yes.

Hyperloop

Despite suffering some setbacks, the development of the Dubai Hyperloop does appear to be back on track. Or levitating slightly above it. This high-speed (honestly, this thing can travel at a supersonic 1000kph) mass transit system uses maglev technology to hurtle through tubes with a maintained vacuum. The Dubai Hyperloop was initially proposed to serve as a Dubai to Abu Dhabi link (in around 12 minutes) and as far as we know, that’s still the plan. More news on this as we get it.

Smart stations

Finally, a solution that might not seem the most obvious public transport fix, but could really help impact efficiency – is the application of smart stations. This requires dynamic systems that are able to monitor passenger flow and respond accordingly, as well as streamlining the fare payment system at metro and tram stations.

SkyWay

Its current development status is unclear, but another transport system currently being considered for the Smart Mobile Strategy that, like the pods, operates as a suspended vehicle model, is SkyWay. Running along on a string-rail overpass between skyscrapers, the network would be considerably shorter than that envisaged for the Sky Pods, but each you’d be able to fit more passengers in each unit.

Barrier free parking at malls

From February, a new parking toll system has begun operation in the MAF entertainment and retail destination, Mall of the Emirates (MOE).

Visitors taking their own cars to hit the black run at Ski Dubai, watch a new box office smash at VOX Cinemas, cruise the food court, or simply raid the rails of the mall’s many shops and stores – will have to follow the new procedures of the paperless, barrier-free Parkin-based toll system, that is now in effect.

The major benefits of this new system include a streamlined, and ultimately much faster entrance and exit experience; as well as the complete avoidance of ‘I’ve lost my ticket, I’m never going to financially recover from this’ meltdowns. A decent-sized win for team Dubai in general, a massive headache solved for my ADHD brothers and sisters.

AI-powered traffic system

Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that it has started work on on the next-generation traffic signal control system (UTC-UX Fusion), incorporating artificial intelligence (AI), predictive analytics, and digital twin technologies.

According to RTA, the project aims to improve travel time and reduce Dubai traffic  by 10 to 20 per cent and overall enhance the travel experience for all motorists including public transport passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists, while also prioritising emergency vehicles and public transport.

Trackless Tram

At the end of last year, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister shared plans for the development of an autonomous, eco-friendly  ‘Trackless Tram’. The important numbers are: it will be rolled out in eight locations across the emirate; each electric tram will have three carriages and a load capacity of 300 passengers; it will operate on a virtual guided track system, have lower operational costs and be economically friendly; its top speed will be 70kph; and it’ll be on time – the existing tram that loops around Dubai Marina and beyond has a 99.9 percent punctuality rating.

Upgraded Metro Stations

The future is here and now – we could be paying with our palms at Metro gates very soon. RTA’s booth at GITEX last year has revealed the possibility of a brand new technology that could be integrated into our public transport – palm scan gate access.

This whole mechanism will allow Metro users and commuters to move efficiently without the use of physical a Nol card, as this system will allow the person’s palm to be linked to the card. Simply, swipe your palm at the gate and you’re in. A new type of pass. This will make travelling by public transport even easier and hopefully people will choose that over driving, so less Dubai traffic.

Increasing Speed Limits

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced an increase in the maximum speed limit on Al Amardi Street and Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Street. The new limits came into effect last September. RTA and Dubai Police made the decision after a thorough engineering and technical study by the transport authority. Both streets have also been developed and expanded, and the authorities hoped the new speed limits could improve traffic flow.

Remote Working

At the end of last year, Dubai announced that it is encouraging both public and private sectors to implement flexible hours and remote work, aiming to ease traffic congestion and improve work-life balance.

Following the approval of Dubai’s Traffic Flow Plan by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, studies by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Government Human Resources (DGHR) show that implementing four to five remote workdays per month, along with flexible hours, could reduce peak travel time across Dubai by up to 30 percent.

Images: Provided/Getty