Dubai: For the five years that the Dubai Metro has been running, one man has never missed a train for a single day.
He hops on for work, leisure, shopping or for any errand every day. “It’s the best option I have and it’s a smart option, particularly if you travel in Deira and Bur Dubai, where driving a car or finding a parking space is difficult,” said Faheem Ruknuddin, who lives in Al Ras, Deira.
Ruknuddin has been a Dubai resident for eight years and works a cargo clearance agent and his jobs requires him to travel throughout the day.
“Earlier I used to travel mostly by bus or taxi. Buses are not convenient and consume a lot of time and I used to spend a lot of money on taxis. It used to be really difficult before the Metro,” added Faheem, who is from India.
Before the launch of the Metro, Ruknuddin was considering applying for a driving licence, but once he hopped on to the Metro, the thought was soon forgotten.
“I feel there is no need for a car now as the Metro is convenient, efficient as well as affordable. I can reach my destination quickly without going through any hassles of traffic jams, parking problems or accidents. And, most importantly, I spend only around Dh20 per day,” said the 40-year-old father of one.
Every day Ruknuddin catches a train at around 7.45am from Al Ras and heads to either the airport or the Jebel Ali Port and gets back home by noon.
“Now with the Metro available I come back home for lunch. Earlier it wasn’t possible. I would never imagine coming back during the break. Now I don’t think twice, because I know I can get back to work quickly without any hassle,” he adds.
He said even his family enjoys taking a ride on the weekends so that ensures that Ruknuddin hops on every day even when he is not at work.
Apart from a short vacation that he took recently, Ruknuddin has not been away from the Metro over the last five years.
