Traffic jams may be a thing of the past even after the pandemic
Flexible working hours introduced because of Covid- 19 could lead to the end of rushhour gridlock in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, a traffic expert said.
Data provided by GPS provider TomTom shows that traffic levels in both emirates are significantly down compared to the same time last year.
Last Wednesday at 5.30pm, congestion was 21 per cent higher than during non-rush hour traffic – a 15 percentage point drop from the average a year ago. The figure for Abu Dhabi was 15 percentage points lower than last year’s.
TomTom’s Jonathan Americo said several factors were responsible, “including the widespread adoption of more flexible working hours”.
In Berlin, New York, Rome, Milan and other cities, traffic levels have returned to pre-Covid levels, and in London last Wednesday, congestion at 5pm was twice what it would be outside rush hour.
It was also 34 percentage points higher than November last year, as some commuters appeared to shun the British capital’s public transport system in favour of cars.
“A lot of cities that have seen a return to pre-quarantine levels of traffic congestion were previously reliant on public transport,” Mr Americo said.
“Many people in those regions are avoiding public transport and are now taking cars to work.”
The UAE is a car-centric country, even with an increase in public transport options in the past decade.
In August, government workers in Dubai were told they could choose to start work any time between 6.30am and 8.30am.
People returning to their home countries since the start of the pandemic may also have contributed to the reduction in traffic congestion, Mr Americo said.
Last week, the Indian consulate in Dubai told The National that 650,000 of its citizens left the Emirates since the beginning of May, although 240,000 had already returned.
Saleh Jafar, from road safety campaign group Gulf for Yasa, said higher levels of congestion may return if flexible working eventually ends. “A lot of companies have empty offices right now with long-term leases and they will want staff back when the pandemic dies down,” he said.
“There’s no question that traffic levels have been reduced but the economy relies on the likes of Salik as well, so I don’t think we’ll see a massive reduction in the long term.”
Mr Jafar predicted Dubai’s roads would be busier in the winter when tourists arrive, even if they come in smaller numbers than before the pandemic.
“Dubai is going to continue to attract visitors – especially from countries where there is a lockdown,” he said.
“I can see the level of traffic reducing in Abu Dhabi but I’m not convinced it’s going to be much less in Dubai in the longer term. The level of traffic keeps creeping back up all the time and I think that’s only going to continue.”
When remote working was adopted at the start of the pandemic, it was regarded as a temporary measure. But it has been such a success that many experts predict it may become permanent.
Analysts said companies were reaping the rewards of improved morale as their staff now spend less time travelling to work.
Cities that have seen a return to pre-quarantine levels of congestion were previously reliant on public transport JONATHAN AMERICO Traffic expert, TomTom