Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), announced the commencement of e-scooters operations in 11 new residential areas in 2023. The total number of districts where e-scooters are permitted to operate grows to 21, while the entire length of tracks dedicated to bikes, e-scooters, and safe and shared routes increased from 185 km to 390 km. "Expanding the scope of operating bikes and e-scooters to cover new districts is in line with the Resolution of the Executive Council No 13 for 2022 endorsed by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council, regulating the use of e-scooters in Dubai," Al Tayer said. It also supports efforts to make Dubai a bicycle-friendly city and the transition to less-polluting sustainable transportation. The move encourages visitors to use alternative modes of transportation and supports the first and last-mile strategy. The new areas where the use of e-scooters will be permitted are: -Al Tawar 1 -Al Tawar 2 -Umm Suqeim 3 -Al Garhoud -Muhaisnah 3 -Umm Hurair 1 -Al Safa 2 -Al Barsha South 2 -Al Barsha 3 -Al Quoz 4 -Nad Al Sheba 1 With the launch of e-scooters in these areas, the total length of the bike and e-scooter tracks will jump to 390 km to serve 114,503 residents of those areas. These tracks connect to significant attractions, ten mass transit stations, and 18 prominent destinations such as public parks and shopping malls. It will also improve first- and last-mile journeys and reduce reliance on private vehicles. "The selection of areas and tracks is based on technical studies and data analysis of various Dubai districts to assess them in terms of safety, traffic volumes, the readiness of the infrastructure, population density, and the proximity to metro and public transport stations," Al Tayer said. To avoid traffic incidents, the RTA requests that the public refrain from using e-scooters on tracks still under construction. RTA also encourages motorists to be more cautious when driving within those districts and to adhere to the posted speed limits. RTA launched a link on its website (www.rta.ae) that allows interested individuals to apply for free permits to ride e-scooters on RTA-designated safe roads. Attending training courses and passing an online test is part of the process. BKM/ Expat Media
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