DUBAI: Dubai residents were given a free ride on the city's metro on Monday as the small Emirate attempted to promote environmentalism on its first ever Free Public Transport Day. Thousands of residents lined up for the free travel on a day to promote greener living in one of the world's largest carbon emitters. The Roads and Transport Authority's (RTA) initiative, wherein cards and tickets holders were offered free rides on the metro, public buses and water buses for one-day aimed to mark the city's push toward greener living. Many reports indicate that Dubai's carbon footprint is the largest of any city, rivaling Las Vegas in the United States. An environmental expert told Bikya Masr earlier this year that if Dubai ceased to exist “the world's carbon footprint could drop by as much as three percent.” The Khaleej Times reported that many locals left their cars at home on Monday and rode the Metro or bus to work. Accompanied by Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, and senior officials from RTA and other government departments, Dubai Sheikh Majid used all the three modes of public transport which were offering a free journey for passengers throughout the day. After touring an exhibition of portraits and exhibits depicting the evolution of the public transport system in Dubai at the Dubai International Convention Center, Sheikh Majid and the entourage boarded the metro to visit Al Ittihad (Union) Station passing through Al Jafiliya, Al Karama and Khalid bin Al Waleed stations. At Al Ittihad (Union) Station, he unveiled the “Commitment Document” signed by the Directors of various Dubai departments and authorities in which they obliged themselves to work hard to boost the culture of mass transit and encourage their employees to use public transport modes. Sheikh Majid then boarded an RTA bus from Al Ittihad (Union) Station towards Bani Yas marine transport station at Dubai Creek and from there he boarded the water bus to Al Seef station, Bur Dubai. At the end of the event, Majid reviewed an artistic portrait made by the female students of Zayed University. The Public Transport Day initiative, which involves participation of various public and private entities and various segments of the community, aims at boosting the profile of Dubai Emirate in supporting initiatives that help improve the environment, achieve sustainable development, encourage the inhabitants to use mass transit modes, and promote the use of RTA's modern transport means spanning the metro, buses and marine transit systems. Aimed at increasing the ridership of mass transit systems and stepping up the multi modal integration of transport systems, the initiative also tries to diffuse the culture of transit systems among various segments of the community. “It also promotes the benefits that accrue to individuals such as the physical and psychological relief during mobility, and reduced expenditure on fuel and vehicle maintenance let alone the fact that using public transport contributes effectively to reducing traffic fatalities, and carbon emissions from vehicle exhausts,” a government statement read. BM
