Share a ride will ease Dubai traffic congestion

July 23rd, 2008 • No Comments

Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has legalized car pooling by launching website Sharekni "a share your car service."

The move aims to give people a way to legally car-pool in Dubai and encourages motorists to share rides and cut traffic congestion.

Here is what the RTA says about car pooling:

What is Sharekni?

Carpooling is the shared use of a car especially for commuting to work and often by people who each have a car but travel together to save cost, to reduce driving stress, and to promote other socio-environmental benefits.

Present situation

Presently, the high demand on Private Cars and low usage of Group Transport (7%) is causing traffic congestion. The present rate of private car ownership in Dubai is as high as 541 cars for each 1000 person with an average number of passengers in each car as low as 1.3 people. The annual increase of traffic expenses is 4.3 billion AED and the expected increase in Dubai population is 296% by the year 2020 and that will bring the expected number of private cars in Dubai is 1.5m car by the year 2020. All of these facts have direct impact on traffic congestion in Dubai .

The Ten objectives of Carpooling:

1. Reducing overall traffic congestion on the roads of Dubai
2. Reduce peak hour congestion
3. Reducing single occupancy car trips in Dubai by implementing car pooling system.
4. Promoting alternative modes of transport.
5. Improve parking in areas that are experiencing parking congestion
6. Save money by sharing the cost of driving one car.
7. Reduce number of cars in the road.
8. Reduce pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.
9. Reduces driving-related stress for participants
10. Provide social connections in the society.

RTA announces the legality of carpooling in the Emirate of Dubai. Every one is encouraged to carpool through the Sharekni system. By offering shared ride you will directly contribute to reducing traffic in Dubai and participate in the development of the city.

You can visit their website here if you want to share you car with other people.

But do they really think that by legalizing a share your car service will really ease traffic congestions in Dubai? I don't think so. Car pooling has been a practice here in Dubai ever before they legalised it and Dubai car rental is very easy to find here where others use the car to get passengers and earn from it. If you have a dubai driving license or an international license, car hire in Dubai is just everywhere.

And the question is, what if the person riding with us is a friend and they are not registered? Hmmm…let's see.