Shared electric scooters in Dubai made about one million trips in 2022, compared to 500,000 the year before, all without sustaining fatalities or severe injuries.
The shared e-scooter rental service is thriving as the transport is shaping up as ideal individual mobility means for short trips and first- and last-mile journeys.
Electric scooters in Dubai
More than 557,000 riders used the service in 2022, and the satisfaction rating hit 76 percent compared to 79 percent in 2021.
The success of the first phase of the shared e-scooters operation is a result of the RTA’s efforts to expand the infrastructure at e-scooter operation zones announced in early 2022.
The RTA provided dedicated e-scooter lanes with high safety and quality standards, connecting attraction points and high-demand spots such as public transport stations and entertainment areas like Jumeirah Beach.
The RTA also permitted individuals to ride e-scooters on safe roads once they obtained riding permits. Since the launch of the electronic platform by the end of April 2022, the number of permits granted has grown to about 50,000.
The initial phase of constructing e-scooter tracks covered Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai Internet City, Al Rigga, 2nd of December Street, Palm Jumeirah, and City Walk.
It also covered safe roads and tracks within specific zones at Al Qusais, Al Mankhool, and Al Karama on designated tracks and zones, in addition to dedicated tracks for bikes and e-scooters across Dubai, excluding the cycling tracks at Saih Assalam, Al Qudra, and Meydan.
From the first quarter of 2023, the RTA permitted the use of e-scooters in 11 new residential areas in Dubai after completing all engineering and technical procedures and verifying traffic safety issues in the new areas.
Allowing the operation of e-scooters in 11 new residential areas raises the number of districts to 21, more than doubling the total length of tracks dedicated to bikers from 185 to 390 kilometres (km), which includes safe and shared internal roads for bikes and e-scooters across Dubai.
The RTA converted internal roads spanning more than 200km in Dubai into safe roads featuring numerous traffic safety measures, such as reducing the speed limit from 40 km/hour to 30 km/hour and providing directional and cautionary signs to ensure safe mobility for all road users.
Areas where e-scooters are allowed in Dubai include
- 2nd of December Street
- Al Barsha 3
- Al Barsha South 2
- Al Garhoud
- Al Quoz 4
- Al Qusais 3
- Al Rigga
- Al Safa 2
- Al Tawar 1
- Al Tawar 2
- City Walk.
- Dubai Internet City
- Jumeirah Lakes Towers
- Muhaisnah 3
- Palm Jumeirah
- Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard
- Umm Hurair 1
- Umm Suqeim 3
As part of the procedures undertaken to enhance traffic safety in the new areas where scooters are permitted, the RTA added ground markings that included introducing a red carpet marking to alert motorists that the use of e-scooters is permitted in this area, installing traffic signs that show the beginning and end of the safe track for riders of individual mobility means, modifying the speed signs, installing traffic and cautionary signs, as well as installing directional signs leading to public transport stations.
Since the start of the trial operation of e-scooters in October 2020, the RTA has hosted numerous educational campaigns to sensitise users on traffic safety requirements, operational areas, and conditions for e-scooter use.
Recently, the RTA focused on field efforts by deploying individuals to promote traffic awareness in popular areas among e-scooter users, such as Emaar Boulevard, Jumeirah Beach, Dubai Water Canal, and Jumeirah Lake Towers.
The campaigns targeting scooter riders stressed the need for compliance with safety regulations and discouraged unsafe practices such as having more than one rider on a single scooter, obtaining necessary permits, adhering to legal age restrictions, and observing the speed limits.
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