Free parking and public transport timings in Dubai for New Year's Eve announced

The National -- Parking will be free from Sunday, December 31, 2017, to Monday, January 1, 2018, across Dubai to celebrate the New Year.

All paid parking zones will be free, except at multi-level parking lots, until Tuesday January 2, 2018, when fees will be reactivated.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority made the announcement on Wednesday along with adjusted timings for all public transport.

Dubai Metro:

From Sunday, December 31, Red Line stations will operate from 5am to midnight the following day. Green Line stations will also run until 1am but start at 5.30am on Thursday.

Green Line stations will be open between 5.30am and 12am.

Dubai Tram:

The Tram will operate from 6am on Monday to 1am on Tuesday.

Dubai Bus:

From December 31 to January 1, main bus stations such as Gold Souk will operate from 4.25am to 00.29am. Al Ghubaiba Station will be in service from 4.16am to 1am.

Sub-stations such as Satwa will start from 5am and run until 11pm except for Route C01, which operates round-the-clock.

The bus service will run at Al Qusais Station from 4.30am to midnight, and at Al Quoz Industrial Station from 5am to 11.30pm.

The service at Jebel Ali Station will start at 5am, continuing to 11.30pm.

Security and road closures:

Drones and cameras will be used by Dubai Police to monitor traffic on New Year's Eve, according to Brig Abdullah Al Ghaithi.

The head of the protective security and emergency department at Dubai Police, said police would keep the public updated on traffic congestion on social media.

“We urge the public to download an event security application on their phones, which will facilitate their trips towards celebration spots. It will also show the facilities, including restaurant's locations in these spots,” he said.

The RTA will close roads to redirect traffic in anticipation of the two million revellers who are expected to watch the record-breaking light show around Burj Khalifa on New Year's Eve.

Roads around the world's tallest building will shut from 5pm to 8pm, and the road circumnavigating the Burj Khalifa, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, will be inaccessible from 6pm to 8pm.

Al Asayel Road will be closed to private vehicles from Oud Metha Road to Financial Centre Street beginning 4pm on the December 31, 2017.

Similarly, authorities will block traffic from entering Al Sukook Road and Al Saada Road from Al Zabeel intersection from 8pm. Emirates Towers roundabout leading to Al Saada Road will also close at 10pm.

The RTA will run 170 buses from midnight until 4am on January 1, 2018, to carry more than 23,000 passengers away from gathering points around the light show to the 4,000 parking spots provided in the Water Canal, Al Wasl Club parking, Al Jafiliya and Al Eid prayer yard at Al Mankhool.

The bulk of the buses will pick passengers up from Burj Khalifa Station to Al Jafiliya Station, Mankhool Prayer Yard and Noor Islamic Bank Metro Station.

Other buses with lift riders from the Financial Centre Street to parking lots of Al Wasl Club, Al Jafilya, Deira City Centre and Al Mankhool Prayer Yard.

Five buses will take passengers from the Dubai Water Canal to Noor Islamic Bank Metro Station.

Dubai authorities will have 190 ambulances on standby around Dubai to ensure the safety of spectators. All updates could be found on the RTA website or through their social media accounts.