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The National
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- The National
What can be done to solve UAE traffic congestion?
A new survey has confirmed what many motorists in the UAE know all too well – traffic congestion is a major headache for anyone travelling by road. The research, based on canvassing 1,021 people in the country, found 86 per cent of motorists 'typically experience traffic congestion '. Moreover, the problem may be intensifying, because four fifths of respondents in the RoadSafety UAE and Al Wathba Insurance study said they have noticed heavier traffic congestion year-on-year. It comes amid a population surge in the Emirates, with Abu Dhabi now being home to 4 million people and Dubai closing in on the landmark figure. Motorists cited several factors as causing the traffic jams, including too many vehicles on the roads, offices and schools all starting at about the same time, heavy dependence on private cars and poor driving that causes accidents. Respondents also gave their views on what could solve the traffic woes, with the most popular ideas being encouraging working from home, improving metro and train services, expanding the road network and improving bus services. Encouraging people to leave their car at home and take public transport is not easy, but a 'carrot and stick' approach has been shown to work elsewhere. 'The only way people will actually leave their cars is if you penalise them – you have congestion charging, or regulated parking, or charge for parking,' said Marcus Enoch, professor in transport strategy at Loughborough University in the UK and author of Roads not yet travelled: Transport futures for 2050. 'You need a stick before most people will shift from using their car. Applying sticks – charges, taxes – is unpopular and quite challenging politically," Prof Enoch said. 'Typically at the same time as trying to restrict car use, most places tend to give carrots as well. Definitely improving public transport is the carrot. The argument is you cannot just penalise people, you have to give them an alternative to get where they need to go to.' New methods Dubai introduced its road toll system, Salik, almost exactly 18 years ago, and the system has since been extended and modified, notably through this year's introduction of dynamic pricing, with levies increasing at peak times. Dynamic pricing has proved highly effective at managing traffic in other parts of the world, such as Singapore, where the Electronic Road Pricing scheme imposes, the authorities say, 'toll charges … according to time and congestion levels'. Abu Dhabi's Darb road toll system, which was introduced four and a half years ago, charges at peak hours in the morning and early evening. Many other measures could lessen the UAE's traffic woes. Surveys last year by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the Dubai Government Human Resources Department found flexible working hours and more working from home could cut peak-hour traffic by as much as 30 per cent. Travelling by air rather than on land may also help. The UAE is mapping air corridors for flying taxis and cargo drones, and one company, Joby Aviation, has been selected to supply and operate air taxis from Dubai International Airport to places such as Palm Jumeirah. Road improvements can deal with bottlenecks. Last month the RTA announced 40 sites in Dubai would benefit from such schemes, many to improve access or connectivity. However, while it may seem the obvious solution, simply building more roads – a favourite solution in the recent survey – typically does not reduce traffic congestion in the long-term, but instead provides only temporary relief. When more roads are built, the amount of traffic grows, known as induced demand. Urban problems 'Continuously building or expanding the roads is not the answer,' said Dr Apostolos Kyriazis, associate professor of architecture at Abu Dhabi University, who researches urban planning. "Road engineers know that. The more roads you build, the more traffic you will get." Dr Kyriazis said there have been numerous positive measures to reduce dependence on road vehicles in the UAE, such as the building in Abu Dhabi of a network of bicycle tracks. He would like to see such efforts increased so that cycling becomes 'a lifestyle'. He supports wider measures to promote 'soft mobility', such as walking and cycling. 'You need to protect people from the heat, so you need plenty of shading. You need bicycle tracks, safe passageway through highways, which is not the case in Abu Dhabi,' he said. Public transport can connect points within a city but this needs to be combined with ways of enabling people to travel to their final destination. He praised efforts in Dubai and Doha with regard to this. 'The metro lines are getting extended big time in order to cover areas not covered before,' he said. 'They're [also] trying to cover what we know as the last mile' from your metro station.' A year ago, Dubai authorities announced that the number of Dubai Metro stations would increase from 55 (with 11 tram stops) to 96 by 2030, with the number rising to 140 a decade after that. A central aim is to transform Dubai into a 20-minute city, meaning within that timeframe someone can meet their daily travel needs without using a car. Global issues Many cities around the world are seen as examples where good quality public transport has made life easier for residents. Prof Enoch cited the bus rapid transit system in Curitba in Brazil. With distinctive tube-like stations, it has been credited in reports as having 'sparked a transport revolution'. 'They built a busway system and then they built the city around the busway system,' he said. The bus routes are like the spokes of a wheel radiating out from the city, Prof Enoch said, and development is concentrated near them. 'It's quite clever how they link the land use to the available transport capacity" he said. "When you look at the map or a photo from above, you see high buildings and that's where the bus routes are." City development can reduce the need for cars, with high-density development more suited than low-density areas to public transport systems, for example. 'An effective response to congestion is not to expand road infrastructure, but to reduce car dependency,' said Dr Alexandra Gomes, a research fellow at the London School of Economics who has analysed transport systems in cities including Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City. 'This can be achieved by creating mixed-use developments and ensuring the proximity of shops and services that are accessible by walking and cycling, as well as by increasing urban densities that support the development of mass transit systems competitive with car travel times.'
The National
a day ago
- Automotive
- The National
Road tolls, road building, air taxis or metros – what will solve UAE congestion?
A new survey has confirmed what many motorists in the UAE know all too well – traffic congestion is a major headache for anyone travelling by road. The research, based on canvassing 1,021 people in the country, found 86 per cent of motorists 'typically experience traffic congestion '. Moreover, the problem may be intensifying, because four fifths of respondents in the RoadSafety UAE and Al Wathba Insurance study said they have noticed heavier traffic congestion year-on-year. It comes amid a population surge in the Emirates, with Abu Dhabi now being home to 4 million people and Dubai closing in on the landmark figure. Motorists cited several factors as causing the traffic jams, including too many vehicles on the roads, offices and schools all starting at about the same time, heavy dependence on private cars and poor driving that causes accidents. Respondents also gave their views on what could solve the traffic woes, with the most popular ideas being encouraging working from home, improving metro and train services, expanding the road network and improving bus services. Encouraging people to leave their car at home and take public transport is not easy, but a 'carrot and stick' approach has been shown to work elsewhere. 'The only way people will actually leave their cars is if you penalise them – you have congestion charging, or regulated parking, or charge for parking,' said Marcus Enoch, professor in transport strategy at Loughborough University in the UK and author of Roads not yet travelled: Transport futures for 2050. 'You need a stick before most people will shift from using their car. Applying sticks – charges, taxes – is unpopular and quite challenging politically," Prof Enoch said. 'Typically at the same time as trying to restrict car use, most places tend to give carrots as well. Definitely improving public transport is the carrot. The argument is you cannot just penalise people, you have to give them an alternative to get where they need to go to.' New methods Dubai introduced its road toll system, Salik, almost exactly 18 years ago, and the system has since been extended and modified, notably through this year's introduction of dynamic pricing, with levies increasing at peak times. Dynamic pricing has proved highly effective at managing traffic in other parts of the world, such as Singapore, where the Electronic Road Pricing scheme imposes, the authorities say, 'toll charges … according to time and congestion levels'. Abu Dhabi's Darb road toll system, which was introduced four and a half years ago, charges at peak hours in the morning and early evening. Many other measures could lessen the UAE's traffic woes. Surveys last year by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the Dubai Government Human Resources Department found flexible working hours and more working from home could cut peak-hour traffic by as much as 30 per cent. Travelling by air rather than on land may also help. The UAE is mapping air corridors for flying taxis and cargo drones, and one company, Joby Aviation, has been selected to supply and operate air taxis from Dubai International Airport to places such as Palm Jumeirah. Road improvements can deal with bottlenecks. Last month the RTA announced 40 sites in Dubai would benefit from such schemes, many to improve access or connectivity. However, while it may seem the obvious solution, simply building more roads – a favourite solution in the recent survey – typically does not reduce traffic congestion in the long-term, but instead provides only temporary relief. When more roads are built, the amount of traffic grows, known as induced demand. Urban problems 'Continuously building or expanding the roads is not the answer,' said Dr Apostolos Kyriazis, associate professor of architecture at Abu Dhabi University, who researches urban planning. "Road engineers know that. The more roads you build, the more traffic you will get." Dr Kyriazis said there have been numerous positive measures to reduce dependence on road vehicles in the UAE, such as the building in Abu Dhabi of a network of bicycle tracks. He would like to see such efforts increased so that cycling becomes 'a lifestyle'. He supports wider measures to promote 'soft mobility', such as walking and cycling. 'You need to protect people from the heat, so you need plenty of shading. You need bicycle tracks, safe passageway through highways, which is not the case in Abu Dhabi,' he said. Public transport can connect points within a city but this needs to be combined with ways of enabling people to travel to their final destination. He praised efforts in Dubai and Doha with regard to this. 'The metro lines are getting extended big time in order to cover areas not covered before,' he said. 'They're [also] trying to cover what we know as the last mile' from your metro station.' A year ago, Dubai authorities announced that the number of Dubai Metro stations would increase from 55 (with 11 tram stops) to 96 by 2030, with the number rising to 140 a decade after that. A central aim is to transform Dubai into a 20-minute city, meaning within that timeframe someone can meet their daily travel needs without using a car. Global issues Many cities around the world are seen as examples where good quality public transport has made life easier for residents. Prof Enoch cited the bus rapid transit system in Curitba in Brazil. With distinctive tube-like stations, it has been credited in reports as having 'sparked a transport revolution'. 'They built a busway system and then they built the city around the busway system,' he said. The bus routes are like the spokes of a wheel radiating out from the city, Prof Enoch said, and development is concentrated near them. 'It's quite clever how they link the land use to the available transport capacity" he said. "When you look at the map or a photo from above, you see high buildings and that's where the bus routes are." City development can reduce the need for cars, with high-density development more suited than low-density areas to public transport systems, for example. 'An effective response to congestion is not to expand road infrastructure, but to reduce car dependency,' said Dr Alexandra Gomes, a research fellow at the London School of Economics who has analysed transport systems in cities including Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City. 'This can be achieved by creating mixed-use developments and ensuring the proximity of shops and services that are accessible by walking and cycling, as well as by increasing urban densities that support the development of mass transit systems competitive with car travel times.'
The National
a day ago
- Automotive
- The National
Road pricing, road building, air taxis or metros – what will solve UAE congestion?
A new survey has confirmed what many motorists in the UAE know all too well – traffic congestion is a major headache for anyone travelling by road. The research, based on canvassing 1,021 people in the country, found 86 per cent of motorists 'typically experience traffic congestion '. Moreover, the problem may be intensifying, because four fifths of respondents in the RoadSafety UAE and Al Wathba Insurance study said they have noticed heavier traffic congestion year-on-year. It comes amid a population surge in the Emirates, with Abu Dhabi now being home to 4 million people and Dubai closing in on the landmark figure. Motorists cited several factors as causing the traffic jams, including too many vehicles on the roads, offices and schools all starting at about the same time, heavy dependence on private cars and poor driving that causes accidents. Respondents also gave their views on what could solve the traffic woes, with the most popular ideas being encouraging working from home, improving metro and train services, expanding the road network and improving bus services. Encouraging people to leave their car at home and take public transport is not easy, but a 'carrot and stick' approach has been shown to work elsewhere. 'The only way people will actually leave their cars is if you penalise them – you have congestion charging, or regulated parking, or charge for parking,' said Marcus Enoch, professor in transport strategy at Loughborough University in the UK and author of Roads not yet travelled: Transport futures for 2050. 'You need a stick before most people will shift from using their car. Applying sticks – charges, taxes – is unpopular and quite challenging politically," Prof Enoch said. 'Typically at the same time as trying to restrict car use, most places tend to give carrots as well. Definitely improving public transport is the carrot. The argument is you cannot just penalise people, you have to give them an alternative to get where they need to go to.' New methods Dubai introduced its road toll system, Salik, almost exactly 18 years ago, and the system has since been extended and modified, notably through this year's introduction of dynamic pricing, with levies increasing at peak times. Dynamic pricing has proved highly effective at managing traffic in other parts of the world, such as Singapore, where the Electronic Road Pricing scheme imposes, the authorities say, 'toll charges … according to time and congestion levels'. Abu Dhabi's Darb road toll system, which was introduced four and a half years ago, charges at peak hours in the morning and early evening. Many other measures could lessen the UAE's traffic woes. Surveys last year by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the Dubai Government Human Resources Department found flexible working hours and more working from home could cut peak-hour traffic by as much as 30 per cent. Travelling by air rather than on land may also help. The UAE is mapping air corridors for flying taxis and cargo drones, and one company, Joby Aviation, has been selected to supply and operate air taxis from Dubai International Airport to places such as Palm Jumeirah. Road improvements can deal with bottlenecks. Last month the RTA announced 40 sites in Dubai would benefit from such schemes, many to improve access or connectivity. However, while it may seem the obvious solution, simply building more roads – a favourite solution in the recent survey – typically does not reduce traffic congestion in the long-term, but instead provides only temporary relief. When more roads are built, the amount of traffic grows, known as induced demand. Urban problems 'Continuously building or expanding the roads is not the answer,' said Dr Apostolos Kyriazis, associate professor of architecture at Abu Dhabi University, who researches urban planning. "Road engineers know that. The more roads you build, the more traffic you will get." Dr Kyriazis said there have been numerous positive measures to reduce dependence on road vehicles in the UAE, such as the building in Abu Dhabi of a network of bicycle tracks. He would like to see such efforts increased so that cycling becomes 'a lifestyle'. He supports wider measures to promote 'soft mobility', such as walking and cycling. 'You need to protect people from the heat, so you need plenty of shading. You need bicycle tracks, safe passageway through highways, which is not the case in Abu Dhabi,' he said. Public transport can connect points within a city but this needs to be combined with ways of enabling people to travel to their final destination. He praised efforts in Dubai and Doha with regard to this. 'The metro lines are getting extended big time in order to cover areas not covered before,' he said. 'They're [also] trying to cover what we know as the last mile' from your metro station.' A year ago, Dubai authorities announced that the number of Dubai Metro stations would increase from 55 (with 11 tram stops) to 96 by 2030, with the number rising to 140 a decade after that. A central aim is to transform Dubai into a 20-minute city, meaning within that timeframe someone can meet their daily travel needs without using a car. Global issues Many cities around the world are seen as examples where good quality public transport has made life easier for residents. Prof Enoch cited the bus rapid transit system in Curitba in Brazil. With distinctive tube-like stations, it has been credited in reports as having 'sparked a transport revolution'. 'They built a busway system and then they built the city around the busway system,' he said. The bus routes are like the spokes of a wheel radiating out from the city, Prof Enoch said, and development is concentrated near them. 'It's quite clever how they link the land use to the available transport capacity" he said. "When you look at the map or a photo from above, you see high buildings and that's where the bus routes are." City development can reduce the need for cars, with high-density development more suited than low-density areas to public transport systems, for example. 'An effective response to congestion is not to expand road infrastructure, but to reduce car dependency,' said Dr Alexandra Gomes, a research fellow at the London School of Economics who has analysed transport systems in cities including Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City. 'This can be achieved by creating mixed-use developments and ensuring the proximity of shops and services that are accessible by walking and cycling, as well as by increasing urban densities that support the development of mass transit systems competitive with car travel times.'
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
Dubai-Sharjah traffic: 90% of drivers face daily jams, says new study
Nearly 90 per cent – 9 out of 10 – motorists in Sharjah and Dubai said they typically experience traffic congestion, according to a new study. Commissioned by Al Wathba National Insurance and released by RoadSafetyUAE, the study showed that 86 per cent of UAE respondents stated experiencing traffic congestion with the highest values in Dubai (91 per cent) and Sharjah (90 per cent). Around 80 per cent of respondents in UAE said they witnessed more traffic congestion this year than last year, with Dubai topping the list with 85 per cent. Traffic in the UAE – especially Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi – has increased substantially over the past few years due to a big increase in population in the country. According to data, the UAE population has grown from 9.448 million in 2020 to 11.345 million. Similarly, Dubai's population is reaching approximately 4 million, the highest ever. This influx of new residents has resulted in an increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. In March 2025, the UAE's Federal National Council (FNC) member. Dr Adnan Al Hammadi also raised the issue of daily gridlock between Dubai and Sharjah, highlighting concerns over the psychological effects of traffic congestion UAE residents experience on a daily basis. Muralikrishnan Raman, chief financial officer of Al Wathba Insurance, said 'road traffic congestion is of big relevance to everyone in the UAE, on a daily basis.' Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, said the objective of the study is to 'provide input to the concerned authorities and stakeholders to understand the public perception about traffic congestion, how they see the reasons for it and on which areas they would focus to improve the situation.' Peak traffic times UAE motorists stated that they experience the highest traffic congestion in the afternoon, followed by the morning work commute and the morning school drop-offs. The list gets completed by weekend activities, afternoon school pick-ups and errands. Citing the reasons, the study found that the traffic congestion is dominated by too many vehicles on the road, all offices start at the same time, all schools start around the same time, and heavy dependency on private cars. Poor driving behaviour, low vehicle occupancy, not enough working from home, road design, lack of public transportation and lack of infrastructure for alternative modes of transportation were the other reasons cited by motorists during the survey, which was conducted in June. In order to deal with the growing traffic challenge, UAE residents suggested promoting working from home, improving public transportation, and expanding the road network and public bus services.
Al Etihad
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Al Etihad
UAE motorists back public transportation as solution for traffic woes: Survey
29 June 2025 23:55 A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)UAE motorists overwhelmingly support enhanced public transport systems, broader road networks and flexible working hours as the most effective ways to combat daily traffic congestion, according to a new nationwide survey conducted by RoadSafetyUAE in collaboration with Al Wathba study, which polled 1,021 drivers across the country in June 2025, found that 83% of respondents advocate expanding the UAE's rail and bus network, with work-from-home incentives and increased highway capacity also emerging as top solutions to the country's growing mobility gridlock has long plagued Dubai and Sharjah, the survey reveals that Abu Dhabi now experiences the highest congestion levels on three out of six key journey types—namely the afternoon return from work, the morning commute, and weekend travel. The findings underscore the mounting traffic pressure in the capital as its population and vehicular numbers 86% of drivers say they 'typically' find themselves stuck in traffic, and four in five believe congestion has worsened compared to the previous year. Although 91% of Dubai motorists report routine delays, Abu Dhabi is not far asked about the root causes of traffic congestion, two-thirds of participants cited 'too many vehicles on the road'. More than half blamed uniform office start times, while nearly 50% pointed to simultaneous school runs and a high dependence on private cars. Other issues included poor driving behaviour, under-utilised carpooling, and the lack of viable alternatives such as cycling to Aletihad, RoadSafetyUAE founder Thomas Edelmann noted that public transport has long been recognised by experts as an effective way to reduce road congestion, but now the general public is echoing that sentiment.'Public transportation such as trams and metros was introduced in cities like Paris, London, and Vienna decades ago,' he said. 'The UAE, being a young nation, must fast-track these developments.'Sharing a personal example, Edelmann said: 'In my hometown, Vienna, a metro line was extended into what was essentially no man's land. But once it was built, development followed. We need more of this —metro, rail, and tram links — to address our growing traffic.'Muralikrishnan Raman, Chief Financial Officer at Al Wathba Insurance, said the survey aimed to 'elevate the discussion from anecdotal evidence to a fact-based and well-researched approach.'Edelmann added that the findings are meant to assist 'concerned authorities and stakeholders in understanding public perception about traffic congestion, the reasons behind it, and where improvements should be focused'.According to the study, rail infrastructure expansion is seen as the single most effective remedy for traffic woes, followed closely by remote working policies, which gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicate that flexible office timings could quickly ease peak-hour pressure if implemented more widely. RoadSafetyUAE is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting road safety through education, awareness, and collaboration. It regularly partners with public and private sector entities to advocate safer driving practices and infrastructure improvements across the Emirates.
