Abu Dhabi: The public bus network in the capital will be expanded with a new plan envisaging a doubling of services and bus stops at every 300 metres by the end of this year, a senior official said on Tuesday.
“The Abu Dhabi bus network will be more than doubled, offering 123 routes from the present 60 services and stops every 300 metres by the end of this year,” said Saeed Al Hameli, general manager of the Bus Office at the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport (DoT).
Al Hameli said the public transport network in Abu Dhabi was getting more popular and made 58 million passenger trips — transporting 38,000 passengers a day on average — last year.
“We target to reach 75 million passenger trips by the end of this year as we made 15 million passenger trips in the first quarter of this year compared with 11 million passenger trips in the period last year,” he said.
New routes
Al Hameli said 66 new routes planned in Abu Dhabi and its suburbs will ensure that bus stops are only 300 metres apart.
“In Al Ain, we plan to increase the routes to 28 from the present 10, which transport 30,000 passengers a day, by the end of the year. As many as 15 routes will be serving commuters in the Western Region by then,” he said.
Four new routes are to be introduced next week with the target being 29 additional services for the region by the end of the year.
The DoT plans to expand the public bus fleet from 600 to 1,360 by 2013 and set up dedicated bus lanes with the objective of easing traffic flow and congestion.
All old buses are being phased out and new special-needs-friendly vehicles with dedicated ladies’ sections being introduced, Al Hameli said.
He said that, by the beginning of June, 70 out of 80 air-conditioned bus shelters across the city will be fully operational. The DoT plans to have 550 such bus shelters across the emirate by 2013.
The move, he said, is part of plans to encourage people to use their cars less, thus reducing traffic congestion. Officials recently revealed updated transport plans for the capital that include a light rail network downtown and water transport to Reem Island and the Corniche by late 2013.
They outlined these initiatives during the recent international exhibition on urban transport in Dubai.
Asked how an island like Abu Dhabi still did not have water taxis, Al Hameli did not reveal the timeframe for launching a water transportation network but said integration, speed and convenience of the public transport network were factors that would eventually boost the public transport system.
Al Hameli said studies were conducted to determine what methods of transport are required, and in what areas to make the system accessible.
Information
For information on Abu Dhabi bus routes, call toll-free number 800 55555 or visit www.ojra.ae/en_bus
