Herald Herrera (@heraldherrera) continues to show us his unique perspective of Dubai, this time drawing attention to the city’s  metro system – the longest fully automated metro system in the world – via his hashtag #DubaiMetroSeries.

What inspired you to create the hashtag #DubaiMetroSeries?

I rely heavily on the Dubai Metro for transportation right now and it came to a point where I noticed that I had way too many photos in and around different metro stations. I thought it would be a great idea to create a hashtag for it and make it a base project for my Instagram account. I aim to take one photo in each metro station around the city and I allow other people to contribute to the hashtag as well. All the photos started off in monochrome shots but I’m now planning to have a second set in color.

What makes the the Dubai Metro unique?

The Dubai Metro is currently the world’s longest fully automated metro network and is driverless. The stations can almost be considered an art gallery – there are four themes used in the interiors of all stations: earth, water, fire and air. Earth stations will have tan-brown colors, water has blue-white colors, fire gets orange-red, and air is painted in greens. The Metro also has three classes of accommodation: Gold Class (first class), Women and Children class (extended to 2 cabins during peak hours), and the regular Silver Class (economy).

If you could make one change to the Dubai Metro, what would it be and why?

I don’t think I would make any changes to it. I’m simply looking forward to its expansion so that it can cover more areas in Dubai and evolve like Paris’ intricate web of metro stations.

How do you think the Metro impacts life in Dubai? What changes have you noticed in the way people live since its development?

Relying only on taxis and buses is terribly difficult in Dubai. I know this because the Metro was not yet developed when I first moved here. It was such a pain to go anywhere, especially during the hot summer months. The Dubai Metro made commuting really convenient. It’s far easier for people to get around and the city is that much more accessible for people from all walks of life.

The Dubai Metro is said to be the longest fully automated metro network; in this way, it seems ‘quintessential Dubai’ as it reflects how advanced some of the development there has been. What are your thoughts on this development: is it all positive, or are there some repercussions?

Personally, I don’t see any negatives surrounding the development, particularly the development of the metro system. It makes life easier for people here. If anything though, all the development and modernism does cause some traditional values to decay, like having good manners, being courteous, and respecting fellow passengers. There is definitely a shift in how people relate to one another, and I reckon that’s correlated to some of the fast-paced development