UAE Petrol Prices Jump 16%: Residents Plan Dubai Metro Trips, Fewer Office Days

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Taking the Metro to work, asking for fewer office days and planning client visits around public transport are some of the changes UAE residents are considering as petrol prices rise by more than 16 per cent in October.

Some motorists are preparing to increase their fuel budgets, while others are looking for ways to reduce their driving. For residents who use a car lift, a change in the monthly fare also means setting aside more for the journey to work.

Moving to the Metro

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Alwin Pinto, who lives in Al Qusais and works in JLT, plans to leave his car at home and take the Dubai Metro to his office. He said that he spends around Dh700 to Dh800 a month on petrol.

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“The Metro station is right near my house, and my office is about a 10-minute walk from the station. The weather is good, so I would rather use the Metro for my office commute,” said Pinto.

A regular-class, all-zone Nol pass costs Dh350 for 30 days. This is Dh350 to Dh450 less than his current monthly petrol spending, although any fuel he continues to buy for other journeys would remain an additional expense.

“It takes me about an hour by Metro and around 45 to 50 minutes by car. The difference is about 15 minutes, so I am moving to public transport for now,” he said.

Fewer trips to the office

For Shabbir Ahmed, who lives in Horizon Towers in Ajman, the plan is to discuss working from home for part of the week.

Ahmed works in administration at a used car outlet near Galadari Roundabout in Deira. He drives to the office five times a week and said that his monthly petrol spending is already over Dh1,200.

“I refill roughly every four days, so it is around eight times a month. If I continue going to the office as usual, I expect to spend more than Dh1,500,” said Ahmed.

He plans to speak to his employer about making fewer office journeys and working from home on some days. The arrangement has not yet been approved.

“Now we will have to plan our spending carefully. I want to speak to the office about working from home for part of the week. I will also have to avoid extra expenses,” he said.

Grouping client visits

Hameed S, a sales executive living in Al Nahda in Sharjah, cannot limit his driving to the journey between home and work. He visits his office once or twice a week in Business Bay, but visits offices of his clients four days a week.

“I refill my car roughly every three days. The company reimburses half of my fuel expenses, but I expect that I may need to put another Dh170 to Dh250 from my own pocket each month,” said Hameed.

To reduce some of that driving, he plans to group appointments according to their location.“For my clients offices near Metro stations, I am planning to arrange the visits on the same day so that I can take the Metro,” he said.

A higher car-lift fare

Amna, who uses a car lift from Al Nahda in Sharjah to Business Bay, has received a notification about a fare increase.

“I was paying Dh350 a month. The company has informed me that the fare will increase to Dh380,” she said.

The change means she will need another Dh30 each month for the same journey between home and work.

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