RTA expands dedicated bus and taxi lanes to six Dubai roads — 30% complete — commute times down to 59%

Dubai is pushing ahead with plans to make public transport a faster and more attractive alternative to private vehicles, with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announcing that 30 per cent of its 14.5-kilometre Dedicated Bus and Taxi Lanes Project has been completed.

The project, spanning six major roads across the city, is expected to significantly ease daily commuting by reducing bus travel times by up to 59 per cent on some routes and improving service reliability during peak traffic periods.

Once completed, the new lanes will increase Dubai's dedicated bus lane network from 6.1km to 20.6km, creating priority corridors for buses and taxis on Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah Street, 2nd December Street, Al Satwa Street, Al Nahda Street, Omar Bin Al Khattab Street and Naif Street.

According to the RTA, bus journey times during peak hours are expected to fall by between 24 and 59 per cent on routes using the dedicated lanes. The largest improvements are forecast on Naif Street, where travel times will drop by 59 per cent, followed by Al Satwa Street (54 per cent), Omar Bin Al Khattab Street (50 per cent) and Al Nahda Street (38 per cent).

The authority also expects significant gains in punctuality, with bus arrival times improving by up to 56 per cent. The dedicated corridors are also expected to encourage more people to choose public transport, with bus ridership forecast to increase by as much as 30 per cent on some routes.