Metro users seek more buses to JLT, Ibn Battuta
METRO RED LINE PARTIALLY CLOSED AS WORK BEGINS AT NAKHEEL HARBOUR, TOWER STATIONS
Commuters are coming to terms with the partial closure of Dubai Metro’s Red Line, which came into effect on Friday to allow for the reconstruction of the Nakheel Harbour and Towers station as part of the Route 2020 project.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has deployed free shuttle bus service between Ibn Battuta and Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) stations, offering an alternative to commuters along the closed segment.
On Sunday, the first working day since the planned closure began on Friday, many commuters were still coming to terms with the change.
“I didn’t realise the partial closure had already started. I started for work as usual and only when I reached JLT, I realised that I have to get off and take bus to Ibn Battuta. I took me an extra 30 minutes to reach work in Jebel Ali because of the rush as many people were unaware of the situation,” said Abeer Mustafa, a regular commuter on the Red Line.
Another commuter Anand Thomas urged RTA to added more buses, especially during peak hours, to ease the rush.
“The shuttle service is nice, but I thought more buses could help speed up the commute. I understand it is the first working day since the closure came into effect and there would be some teething issues,” said Thomas, who has been doing the early morning commute on the Red Line since 2009.
Aside from a few hiccups, the first working day commute after the partial closure of Dubai Metro’s Red Line was smooth, with a circular bus route between Ibn Battuta and JLT stations operating non-stop.
Suspension till mid-2019
RTA announced the suspension of metro operations along the small stretch early in December, urging commuters to plan ahead and allow an additional 20 minutes in order to avoid any delays.
The suspension will be in place till mid-2019 to carry out the expansion work of Dubai Metro.
Construction work on the 15km Route 2020, an extension of the Red Line connecting Nakheel Harbour and Towers station with the Expo 2020 site, began late last year.
Work is currently underway all along the 15km route that passes through several densely populated areas, including Discovery Gardens, The Gardens, Jumeirah Village, Dubai Investment Park etc. Tunnel boring works and construction of elevated viaducts are currently underway simultaneously.
Work on the reconstruction of the Nakheel Harbour and Towers stations has already begun and metro pillars and viaducts could already be seen rising up all along the new route.
According to RTA, the suspension of the services is dictated by construction works required for the building a new station alongside the existing Nakheel Harbour and Tower station and linking it with the existing one.
The construction will require the complete closure of the station as well as the attached multi-storey car park.
“Constructional modifications require the full closure of Nakheel Harbour and Tower Stations as the rail track between JLT Metro Station, and Ibn Battuta Station will be fully closed from January 5, 2018, until the middle of 2019,” said Abdul Mohsen Ebrahim Younus, CEO of RTA’s Rail Agency, announcing the partial closure last month.