Metro fares 'among world's cheapest'

DUBAI // The Dubai Metro will be one of the cheapest public transport networks in the world, the head of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said today. A single journey of less than three kilometres will cost Dh2 if paid for with a ticket, or Dh1.80 if the passenger uses a prepaid card. A journey within any one of five zones that the RTA has divided the city into will cost Dh2.50 for a single ticket, or Dh2.30 on a card. Travelling through two zones will cost Dh4.50 for a single ticket and Dh4.10 on a card, while a trip from one end of Dubai to the other, or any journey crossing three or more zones, will cost Dh6.50 with a ticket, or Dh5.80 using a card. Students and senior citizens, using a card with their personal details registered on it, will pay 90 fils for a journey of less than three kilometres, and a maximum of Dh2.90 for the longest trips, while passengers wishing to travel in "Gold Class" carriages will pay Dh4 for a short journey with a paper ticket, Dh3.60 on a card, or Dh13 and Dh11.60 for a long journey using either a ticket or prepaid card respectively. The new price structure will also apply to buses, which at the moment cost Dh2 for a journey anywhere in the city, meaning that for some journeys bus fares will rise. Mattar Mohammed al Tayer, the executive director and chairman of the board of executives at the RTA, said the price structure was comparable to public transport in Cairo and Singapore, and up to three times cheaper than in cities such as Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York. "The price will make it attractive to use buses and the metro, and it is also a very luxurious and comfortable way to travel," he said. The prepaid travel cards, called "Nol", meaning "fare" in Arabic, will be available when the metro opens in September, he said. There will be three different types: silver, which can be used immediately for most journeys; gold, which will allow users to travel in the "Gold Class" carriages; and blue, which will be a personalised card with a photo of the user on it, which can be used for student and other discount fares, and which will can be recharged over the internet and offer various loyalty schemes and other incentives. Tickets will be colored red, and can be recharged for use on up to 10 journeys. gmcclenaghan@thenational.ae