Dubai Metro has arrived at the perfect time for executives and businesses to find new ways to streamline costs and benefit the community.

Companies near Metro stations are drawing up plans to replace staff car parking spaces, which can cost up to Dh2,000 per month, with Nol payment cards, Emirates Business has learned.

A company that pays for as few as 10 parking spaces at DIFC could face an annual parking bill of Dh240,000.

The move by some private banks and other financial institutions at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) – where parking is at a premium – will mean companies will actively encourage employees to use the Metro, said Pankaj Ganjoo, Regional Head (Middle East and Africa) of ICICI Bank.

"There is a business interest for everyone in the use of the Metro," he said. "[Banks] pay considerable amounts as reimbursement for conveyance but now those close to Metro stations will look at adopting it quickly.

"Apart from the shortage of parking at DIFC, we have to pay Dh2,000 per month for each space we are allotted. If even a third of those who currently drive to work find hopping on the Metro practical with respect to journey times, any organisation would gladly top up Nol cards for monthly travel allowances and do away with parking charges."

Other than DIFC, monthly parking at Emirates Towers costs up to Dh2,000 and the nearby Fairmont charges Dh1,000.

The removal of some private parking perks is in line with the Roads and Transport Authority's (RTA) plans to increase public transport usage from seven per cent to 30 per cent in the coming years. The RTA has acknowledged the importance of programmes to encourage firms to get their employees on board its buses and the 11 trains currently running the length of the Red Line.

For the next few months until all stations are open, the Metro will, realistically, carry mainly residents living and working close to stations as well as shoppers attracted by the presence of Deira City Centre, BurJuman and Mall of the Emirates on the Red Line.

Other people, who have yet to obtain driving licences and will happily avoid taking out car loans, have also begun considering the shortest routes to work via bus and Metro.

"Since the Metro is not fully linked up yet we can't use it for staff who are constantly on the move," said Ganjoo. "But people whose roles keep them in offices will be given Nol cards instead of parking allowances."

Junior ICICI Bank staff have already begun riding the Metro to work since most travel from areas close to the Red Line's extreme points and find the option cheap and convenient.

On the day of the Metro's launch on September 9, Mohamed Johmani, Managing Director of O2 Marketing Communications, bought Nol cards for his 80 employees and he has spent this week pushing everyone to use the trains.

"I'm a huge advocate of public transport and this Metro truly is a state-of-the-art, convenient way to travel," he said. "I have linked their use of the Metro to key performance indicators and am bent on getting my entire staff to travel via Metro."

The company has begun to gather employee feedback on their use of the Metro and aims to iron out any issues they may have encountered. Those delayed by Metro stoppages will not be penalised.

Staff member Ivan, who lives in Jumeirah Beach Residence, now drives to Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station every morning and takes the Metro to the O2 office, near Financial Centre Station.

"I came on the Metro to work today and it was great," said the Brazilian. "There's free parking at the Nakheel station which is brilliant. I waited just minutes for a train and it took 20 minutes to get to work.

"What I like most about the Metro is I don't have to drive and I can simply relax on my way to work. I like reading and listening to music so by taking the Metro I can do this. I also liked how friendly the staff were."

The RTA will no doubt be pleased to hear this. However, the integration of bus routes and frequencies with the Metro is crucial.

Feeder route frequencies and timing efficiencies will influence people's decisions, said consultant Steve Riley, who Emirates Business met at Union Station.

"If it is efficient I won't need my car," he said. "Most people have two cars so they could easily get rid of one."

The RTA said delays caused by people pressing emergency and fire buttons would end within a few weeks as the number of joy-riders fell and more commuters started using the system regularly.

Abdul Majid Al Khaja, CEO of the RTA's Rail Agency, said: "We didn't expect these numbers [of joyriders]; what is happening now is abnormal.

"Once Eid [Al Fitr] is over and actual usage starts needless button pressing will be eliminated and delays will be drastically reduced. We will be able to properly manage the numbers then."

Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim, the RTA's CEO of Strategy and Corporate Governance, said the numbers using the Metro in the first week had exceeded all expectations.

"I rode with the public last Friday and listened to them saying nice things about the Metro, about the quality," he said.

"Despite the crowds they were taking pictures of the train, its poles, panels… everything. The last week has been incredible for us."

No rise in salik

Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim, the RTA's CEO of Strategy and Corporate Governance, denied plans to increase Salik, car registration and parking fees as an incentive for people to ditch their cars and jump aboard public transport.

"We have no plan to increase Salik or any other charges as of now," he said. "But in the future we may review our plans and see how we can apply new policies that have an impact on relieving traffic congestion.

"We will have to introduce new policies that will encourage people to move from their cars to public transport. A parking control system is one of the policies. Salik is another policy implemented so people can shift to newer corridors with higher capacity as well as to other options such as public transport, which will be cheaper for people to use."

The RTA is developing initiatives aimed at transporting employees of large companies from their homes to the workplace and back, he added. The first target will be hospitality staff as several hotels are close to stations.

On the need for reliability and adherence to promised journey times on the Metro, Ibrahim said: "Everything will be punctual. It will take time but all the groundwork for having a stable, comfortable and punctual system is in place. Now it's a matter of how people educate themselves, develop the culture and learn to use the system."

On track

Passenger numbers – week one

Thursday: 67,000
Friday: 47,000
Saturday: 64,000
Sunday: 38,841
Monday: 42,782
Tuesday: 44,155
Wednesday: 42,972
Total: 346,750