Dubai Metro fare hike: Do commuters care?

From this month onwards, public transportation users in Dubai are paying a little more for their trip. How has this affected their opinion about using public transportation?

Some have considered it a drastic change while others have neutrally accepted the hike. This may depend on the travel behaviour, as the increase hasn’t been standard across different kinds of trip.

“This hike has quite an impact on my budget. Making the trip twice per day adds up to Dh20 a day, and Dh100 per week. Before the hike, I used to spend Dh80 per week on public transportation,” says Monique.

While the difference was obvious for her, it was less bothersome for Sanjeev Shah, an Indian commuter travelling between Bur Dubai and Business Bay on the Silver Class. “The increase made the trip more expensive by 40 fils per day. I do not see this as a big difference,” he commented.

“I like travelling by Metro. It saves me time and money; time because a car ride to Bur Dubai would take longer due to traffic in the area, and money because we cannot afford a second car, and my wife commutes by car,” he said.

“There is a small difference in the fare, but I still find the Metro the most suitable way of transportation,” he concluded.

Vashna Kapoor feels the same way about her trip. While she travels over two zones, from Al Qusais to Dubai Mall every day, the Indian commuter does not find the fare increase a problem. “I travel on the Silver Class, so it is an increase of a dirham per trip. “It is the first time in five years that the fare has been increased. It is OK, I do not find it a problem. And even if I did, I would still take the Metro, as it is my only option.”

This is different for Monique, who opted for the Metro out of preference. “I do have a car at home, and there is very little traffic in my area. However, I find it more appealing to travel by Metro. It allows me some time to unwind after work, or to prepare for work in the morning.

“However, I am not sure if I will continue taking the Metro after the price increase. When I travel by car, I pay less at the end of the week. Another option is switching to the Gold Class, but this is less of a relaxation trip.”

Iqbal Shahzad, a Dubai-Sharjah commuter using the public transportation network has replaced the Metro with a more cost-effective alternative. “I now rely on a carpool with my colleagues,” the Pakistani explains.

Living on the Dubai-Sharjah border and working in Nakheel, the daily commute on the Metro was just a trip too troublesome, and more expensive since the recent hike, he pointed out.

“It had become a Dh14 Metro trip per day, to which I had to add the taxi trip from the nearest Metro station to Sharjah. You could say it would add up to Dh600 per month. I found an arrangement that works for the same price, and it is much more convenient.”

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