Dubai Apr 18 (IANS/WAM): Dubai Saturday announced the opening of seven new subway stations this month and three in the next month, expecting to revamp the public transport system in the country's urban areas.

Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said seven metro stations will become operational April 30, while three others will open May 15.

"The Dubai Metro Project is set to complete all works on the remaining 18 stations on the Red Line April 25 and seven stations of which will be opened April 30. Three others are planned to be opened May 15," Al Tayer said.

Stations have been located according to the population density to provide convenience to the inhabitants, availability of commercial and government activities in the vicinity of each station, he said.

The RTA has carried out site surveys in the neighbourhood of the new metro stations and accordingly opened up 28 additional bus routes to feed the metro service.

RTA chairman of the Board and Executive Director said that since it's launch in September last year, the Dubai Metro carried 13.68 million people and the daily ridership has reached 80,000.

With the opening of the 10 new stations, the total ridership is expected to hit 35 million passengers by the end of 2010 and the number is poised to increase further with the operationalisation of the proposed Green Line in August 2011, he added.