Dubai bus system privatisation on the cards

Dubai's transport chiefs are considering privatising the public bus system despite low passenger numbers, but only if it serves the emirate's future well, a Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) executive said recently.

The RTA predict its 1,800 buses will make 4.5 million trips along 140 routes carrying 109.5 million passengers this year, UAE daily the National reported recently.

It will increase its fleet to 2,100 by the end of 2010, and aims to carry more than 120 million passengers.

"We have to set our targets and objectives and know what we exactly need from this. If privatising is serving the future of Dubai and its needs we will go for it and if not we should be careful of it," said Mohammed al-Hashimi, RTA director of planning and business development.

But he said he wanted to "get the public transport system correct" before any decisions were made.

The newspaper did not say how much money the RTA would make if it were to privatise the bus system.

The RTA has considered a number of policies to encourage people onto public transport in the car-loving city, including a driving ban on low income workers such as labourers.

Sections of the public transport are already run by private companies under the regulation of the RTA, including the taxis which are run by five operators.

Dubai's air conditioned bus shelters are managed by a public-private partnership - the RTA owning the land, and the shelters being operated by private companies.

Source: www.business.maktoob.com