Dubai's public transport ridership reached a new milestone in the first half of 2024, with 361.2 million users recorded across all modes — including the Metro, public buses, taxis, marine transport, and shared mobility services. The figure represents a 6% increase over the 340.5 million riders logged in H1 2023, according to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
361 Million Riders: How Dubai's Transport Network Performed in H1 2024
Daily ridership in the first six months of 2024 averaged 1.98 million users, up from 1.88 million in the same period the year before. January 2024 was the busiest month, with 65 million riders, while the remaining months ranged between 53 and 63 million.
The Dubai Metro — operating across the Red and Green Lines — led all transport modes with 133 million passengers, accounting for 37% of total ridership. BurJuman and Union stations recorded the highest passenger volumes on the network. Taxis came second at 27% of users, carrying approximately 97 million passengers. Public buses served 89.2 million riders, representing 24.5% of the total.
RTA Modal Breakdown: Metro, Buses, Taxis, and More
Beyond the headline modes, the Dubai Tram carried 4.5 million passengers during the period. Marine transport accounted for 9.7 million users, while e-hail vehicles, smart rental services, and on-demand buses together served 27.8 million riders.
The breadth of the network — spanning rail, road, sea, and app-based mobility — reflects the RTA's strategy to offer commuters seamless alternatives to private cars across the emirate.
RTA's 2030 Target: 25% of All Trips on Public Transport
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the RTA, highlighted the role of an integrated transport system in driving Dubai's economic and cultural development. Al Tayer reaffirmed the authority's ambition to raise public transport's share to 25% of all trips made in Dubai by 2030 — a cornerstone of the emirate's broader vision to reduce private vehicle dependency and build a more sustainable, accessible city.
The H1 2024 ridership figures suggest the authority is tracking well toward that goal, with consistent year-on-year growth across every major transport mode.
