Station sees heavy traffic

A steady stream of passengers padded through Khalid bin Al Waleed Station this morning as commuters, future patrons and the simply curious lined up for a ride on the Metro.

A steady stream of passengers padded through Khalid bin Al Waleed Station this morning as commuters, future patrons and the simply curious lined up for a ride on the Dubai Metro's first day. The station opened at 6am, but Reenu Kannan, 45, and Cyril Sitchon, 33, both of whom work for a nearby bank, arrived about 7.30, before their shift started, so they could take a trip to the next station - Al Jafiliya - to test the new transport system for themselves.

Ms Kannan, who lives in Emirates Hills, said that as soon the station nearest her home opened, she would ditch her car and hop on the Metro. She added that there had been no problems with purchasing her ticket, and that staff were helpful and friendly. "My first impression is that this is very impressive," she said with a smile. "This is our trial run. We came in early, left the car, and are going to Jafiliya because we are eager to test it out."

After 15 years in Dubai plodding along heavily congested roads, she said this moment had been a long time coming. "I brought the car today because I wanted to test out the stations," she said. "But in future, I won't bother at all." [e-mail]