Contest to be first to ride the Red Line

DUBAI // Drivers are being given the chance to be the first passengers on the new Metro when it opens next month. In a competition being run on the Roads and Transport Authority's website, residents who renew their driving licence, re-register a vehicle or top up their Salik card online will be entered into a draw to ride on the first Red Line train on September 9.

Residents began receiving text messages yesterday encouraging them to "be a part of Dubai's history". The inaugural trip will be launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It will be the first metro system in the Middle East and at 52km will be the longest driverless line in the world. Peyman Younes Parham, director of the RTA's marketing and corporate communication department, said the draw was also a way of encouraging people to make greater use of the authority's website, which details the route of the new line.

The competition closes on September 3. eharnan@thenational.ae