Some motorists are increasing their fuel budgets, while others look for ways to cut driving costs.
Taking the Metro to work, requesting fewer days in the office and scheduling client meetings around public transport are among the changes UAE residents are considering after petrol prices increased by more than 16% in October.
Some motorists are preparing to allocate more of their monthly budget to fuel, while others are looking for ways to reduce the amount of driving they do. Residents who rely on car-lift services may also have to set aside more for their daily commute if monthly fares increase in response to higher fuel costs.
Switching to the Metro
Alwin Pinto, who lives in Al Qusais and works in JLT, plans to leave his car at home and use the Dubai Metro for his daily commute. He currently spends around Dh700 to Dh800 a month on petrol.
Pinto said the Metro is a practical alternative because a station is located close to his home, while his workplace is around a 10-minute walk from the station. With the weather becoming more comfortable, he said he would prefer using public transport for his journey to work.
A regular-class, all-zone Nol pass costs Dh350 for 30 days. Compared with Pinto’s current petrol expenses, that could reduce his commuting costs by around Dh350 to Dh450 a month, although any fuel used for other journeys would remain an additional expense.
Pinto said his Metro journey takes about an hour, compared with roughly 45 to 50 minutes by car. With the difference limited to around 15 minutes, he has decided to shift to public transport for the time being.
Fewer trips to the office
For Shabbir Ahmed, who lives in Horizon Towers in Ajman, the higher petrol prices have prompted him to consider asking his employer for a partial work-from-home arrangement.
Ahmed works in administration at a used-car outlet near Galadari Roundabout in Deira and currently drives to the office five days a week. He said his monthly petrol expenses already exceed Dh1,200.
He typically refuels about once every four days, or roughly eight times a month. If he continues commuting at the same frequency, Ahmed estimates his monthly fuel bill could rise to more than Dh1,500.
He now plans to discuss the possibility of reducing the number of days he travels to the office and working remotely on some days of the week. However, the proposed arrangement has not yet been approved by his employer.
Ahmed said the increase in fuel costs means he will need to manage his monthly expenses more carefully. He plans to discuss a partial work-from-home arrangement with his employer while also cutting back on non-essential spending.
Grouping client visits
For Hameed S, a sales executive who lives in Al Nahda, Sharjah, reducing his driving is more challenging because his job requires frequent visits to clients.
He travels to his office in Business Bay once or twice a week but spends four days a week visiting clients at their workplaces.
Hameed said he currently refuels his car about once every three days. Although his employer reimburses half of his fuel expenses, he expects the higher petrol prices could leave him paying an additional Dh170 to Dh250 from his own pocket each month.
To reduce his fuel consumption, Hameed plans to organise client appointments according to location and make greater use of public transport where possible.
For clients whose offices are close to Metro stations, he plans to schedule multiple meetings on the same day, allowing him to use the Dubai Metro instead of driving between appointments.
