Events of the Public Transport Day, held by Roads and Transport Authority in collaboration with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), will kick off on November 1st under the theme (Together to Expo 2020 Dubai). The event aims to encourage Dubai residents and visitors to use public transport means in their travel from and to the Expo site.
RTA launched Arts in Public Transport initiative in partnership with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority to support the cultural sector and offer innovators and artists a chance to put forward initiatives and concepts that can raise the image of Dubai as a first-class cultural and innovative hub in the region and the world over. Artworks will be on display at several metro stations namely: Expo 2020, Dubai Mall, Jebel Ali, Dubai Investment Park and Al Ghubaiba stations. The public will be treated to the latest and top artist, cultural and innovative works while using public transport means in Dubai.
Enhanced Role of Mass Transit Means
His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, said,
“The 12th edition of the Public Transport Day coincides with the hosting of Expo 2020 in Dubai. It offers a fine opportunity for shedding light on the importance of public transport to the mobility of residents. From its inception, RTA focused on the development of public transport network capable of becoming the safest and preferred mobility means for all community segments. Projects accomplished include Dubai Metro extending 90 km and connecting 53 stations, and the Dubai Tram running 11 km and linking 11 stations. Dubai Metro and Tram are used by about 210 million riders per annum. RTA also provides marine transit means, which were restricted to abras only, but now include the ferry, water bus, water taxi and air-conditioned abras. Improving and integrating mass transit means contributed to increasing the number of trips made by public transit means and shared transport from less than 6% in 2006 to 18.1% in 2019, which means a cumulative increase of about 8.86% p.a.”
Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), expressed her appreciation of RTA’s role in shaping the emirate’s outlook through creative projects and initiatives, affirming the Authority’s keenness to support such projects, saying:
“Dubai Culture seeks to strengthen its cooperation with all public and private entities in Dubai to support the emirate's strategic direction. Such cooperation represents a part of our strategic relationship with the RTA aimed at showcasing the cultural and creative image of the emirate, especially during Expo 2020 Dubai.
“This initiative offers metro users access to artworks presented by our creative community, which is in line with one of the priorities of our strategic roadmap aimed at stimulating participation and making culture and art accessible to everyone, everywhere. The initiative also contributes to supporting creative talents in Dubai by showcasing their works to a wide audience, thus contributing to the growth of cultural and creative industries and achieving our vision of cementing the emirate’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent as well as the global capital of the creative economy.”
Events and Contests
Expo 2020 Metro Station will be the focus of the photography contest launched by RTA in October 2021 in collaboration with Canon Middle East, and Keolis-MHI marking Expo 2020. Launched via social media platforms, the contest aimed to encourage the public to use public transport to and from Expo site.
The exhibition includes photos and videos that highlight the cultural landmarks on the way to Expo, roads network and flyovers, and pictures highlighting the beauty of using different means of transportation. It also includes Dubai Metro stations on Route 2020, which boast a unique architectural design. The names of the winners will be announced after each of the three stages of the competition and will continue until the end of the Expo next year.
Treasure Hunt
RTA will also host a challenge to be run via social media sites such as Tik Tok and Instagram Reel. It involves swiping the nol Plus card virtually in a challenge aimed to encourage the public to use public transport and go to several parts of Dubai to share their journeys with others.
RTA will continue to roll the treasure hunt contest in this edition of the Public Transport Day through its website. The competition prompts the public to discover a hidden treasure in public transport stations. The search is focused on the Dubai Metro Red Line and stations near Expo 2020 site. 8 winners will be selected and each of them will be rewarded with up to two million nol Plus points to be added to their nol cards to be used later.
This year's Public Transport Day initiative includes activities and events that will run throughout November by RTA in cooperation with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Expo 2020 Dubai office, and Keolis-MHI (operator of Dubai Metro, Tram), Canon, Noon, Jumeirah Group and Flydubai.
News Source: Dubai Media Office
