For those commuting between between Dubai and the neighbouring emirate of Sharjah, where housing is cheaper, travelling time could amount to two hours and 44 minutes a day, said the survey, reported by WAM state news agency. The study, which surveyd 5,000 employees in 14 major Arab Middle East cities, found also that Dubai also faces a serious lack of parking spaces.
Dubai today launches a toll-road scheme along the main thoroughfare of Sheikh Zayed Road and Garhoud Bridge with the aim of reducing congestion by 25 per cent and diverting traffic to alternative routes.
The scheme, which has enraged commuters in the tax-free emirate, is also expected to generate annual revenues of 600m dirhams ($ 163m).
Dubai is planning to spend at least 75bn dirhams ($ 20.42bn) over the next five years building roads, bridges and a metro system.
The population of Dubai, which is building islands in the shape of date palms and a world map off its coast, has almost doubled over the past decade and may double again to more than 2 million by 2015, according to figures from the emirate’s transportation authority.
