A question of simple economics

I don't know what's going through the minds of voters here:



It seems many are very hopeful. Hopeful of a faster service. Hopeful of sleeker service. Hopeful of finally having a mini bullet train to enjoy a boring ride, should you care to peer out the window.

But where's the hope of it being economical? Presently a bus ticket from Dubai to Sharjah costs 5 Dhs. For a daily to and fro commute, thats 10Dhs. To pay the equivalent of 1.5 gallons of petrol is not right. It still isn't economical, and is still not popular. Getting a Chevy Spark / Daihatsu Sirion will still turn out cheaper, and still leave you with plenty of fuel to go places other than your office. What can beat a car at 399 Dhs. per month? Practically nothing. Get a friend of yours from the office to join you, and it's even more economical.

Lets see, suppose a person were to travel via the Metro circa 2009. In accordance with inflation rates, a ride will cost him 7 Dhs. Thats 14 dhs and it still doesnt cover the damages of reaching the train station and exiting it back to his home. It'll cost approx 5 dhs, excluding taxi charges to and from the train station for Dubai residents. Holy cow.

If a simple study was undertaken prior to designing the Metro, it would have been very clear why Dubais roads are clogged 24/7:

1. Economics: Buses are still costly. Taxis are twice as costly as those found in the capital. Result - a ritual in progress from many years. Get residence visa - get drivers licence - buy car.

2. Anachronistic work schedules: Many companies still have the 1-4pm break. And there are people who still want to go home to have lunch and take a nap. Where else in the world do we have such timings?

3. No car pooling: A heavy penalty levied should you feel 'human'. That is, help out your friends by dropping them. Expect a local CID to materialise at the wrong place at the rong time on the wrong day, in accordance with Murphy's law.