Dubai Metro cost 'has risen by billions': Chairman

The cost of the Dubai Metro project has increased by billions since the $4.2 billion (15.5 billion dirhams) contract was awarded in 2005, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) chief has said.

Without revealing the exact figure, Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and the executive director of the RTA said the construction cost increase ran into billions. He said the cost overrun will be announced after the project had been finished.

More than half of the project has changed in terms of its design and facilities since its inception to cope with the growing needs of the city, he told 'Gulf News'. The first phase of the mass transit system is scheduled to open on September 9.

 

He said the integrated public transport projects spearheaded by the metro would change the lifestyle in rapidly expanding urban areas of Dubai and will meet the transport needs of generations to come.

Asked about how the metro will change transport use in the emirate, Al Tayer said, "With the launch of the metro, the RTA aims at increasing the current six percent public transport share of commuting to around 30 per cent by 2020 and the metro is expected to take 17 per cent of this share."

Al Tayer said 10 stations had been awarded brand names after being sponsored by companies but another 12 were still available.