Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will develop 13km of new dedicated lanes for buses and taxis in 2025, aiming to speed up travel and improve daily commutes for residents. This includes the creation of six new dedicated bus and taxi lanes set to open this year, expanding the total network to 20km. The move is designed to make public transport faster, more reliable and more appealing to residents.
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said the dedicated lanes is expected to increase passenger numbers by 10 percent, improve bus arrival times by 42 percent and reduce journey durations by 41 percent, helping to ease overall traffic congestion.
The expansion comes as part of RTA’s wider strategy to make public transportation more efficient and better integrated with metro services, particularly in residential, commercial and industrial areas.
RTA also announced that in 2024, Dubai’s public bus system saw 188 million users, marking an 8 percent increase compared to 2023 numbers. The public bus fleet now includes 1,390 buses operating across 187 routes and completing 11,000 daily trips.
The use of AI and smart traffic systems has been key in improving performance, reducing operational costs, and keeping buses on schedule. RTA also introduced nine express routes, nine new metro link routes, and four taxi routes in high-demand areas in 2024. The bus priority system, which gives buses faster passage through traffic signals, has already improved arrival times at busy intersections by up to twelve percent.
With this new expansion of infrastructure, you can expect even quicker and smoother commutes, especially during peak hours.