Passengers, travelling to Dubai International Airport with the Metro, are now able to carry two pieces of hand luggage with them.

Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said that one piece of luggage measuring 81cm x 58cm x 30cm and a second piece measuring 55cm x 38cm x 20cm could now be carried on the trains. “Two bags are allowed per passenger. The passenger should be able to carry or pull the items on his own without any help and without causing any inconvenience to others or damage the public property,” said Ramadan Mohammed Abdullah, Director of Rail Operations at the RTA.

The RTA said that instructions have been put up at various stations across the network to inform passengers and metro staff would use their own discretion in the matter.

According to local media, the baggage size restriction was expected to deter companies from using the Metro to transport goods and large bulky parcels, taking up space on the trains that run at six-minute intervals during peak hours.

The announcement came just after the RTA opened 7 new stations on the line: Emirates, Airport Terminal 1, Al Karama, Emirates Towers, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Marina, and Ibn Battuta.

Since its opening on 09-09-09 till the end of March, Dubai Metro has carried about 13.68 million passengers with daily ridership of 80 thousand passengers. The number of metro users is estimated to hit 35 million passengers in 2010 and is likely to receive a further boost in August 2011 with the opening of the Green Line.

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