UAE | Traffic and Transport

Sharjah buses help move the masses

Most passengers are heading to Dubai.

  • By Mariam M. Al Serkal, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 October 18, 2010
  • Gulf News

Sharjah bus
  • Image Credit: Atiq-Ur-Rehman/Gulf News Archive
  • Sharjah Transport recorded 4,872 passengers on inter-emirate bus services to the Eastern and Central regions with 444 trips.

Sharjah: Well over 171,000 passengers took inter-emirate buses from Sharjah during the three-day Eid holiday period, with Dubai being the most popular destination.

"We anticipated a big rush of commuters during the three-day Eid holiday and in turn increased the number of trips per day," said Rashid Mahboub, manager of Al Jubail bus station.

Sharjah Transport recorded a total of 171,969 passengers on public buses during the Eid holidays with a total of 3,638 individual trips. A good number of people boarded buses to Dubai — a total of 74,423 passengers on 1,322 trips.

Sharjah-Abu Dhabi services accounted for 24,749 passengers and 463 trips. Those who bought tickets to Ajman numbered 19,344 with 379 bus trips.

Mahboub added that a special team had been tasked with tracking the movement of passengers during Eid Al Fitr to ensure that there was minimum disturbance in schedules.

Special services

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"We also employed a number of people to help the elderly and people with special needs to board the buses, and adopted new services, such as equipping the station with water coolers and electric fans," Mahboub said.

Sharjah Transport also recorded 4,872 passengers on inter-emirate bus services to the Eastern and Central regions with 444 trips in all.

In demand

Yousuf Sulaiman Al Hammadi, Director of the Eastern and Central Office at Sharjah Transport, told Gulf News that three dedicated routes kept up services to the sector.

The routes included line 116 from Sharjah to Al Dhaid, Masafi and Fujairah, in addition to line 119 for Khor Fakkan, Kalba and Dibba Al Hosn, and line 120 which links the city of Al Dhaid with Madam.

"Line 116 made 279 trips and recorded the largest number of commuters at 2,352. The second busiest was line 119 with 1,642 passengers," Al Hammadi said, adding that line 120 was used by 698 passengers in 88 trips.

Comments (3)

  1. Added 14:23 October 18, 2010

    Nice to read these datas and congratulate you for this. Nevertheless, as a commuter who has been using your sharjah transport facility, i would note some observations. 1. I start my journey from sharjah to fujairah every morning at 5 am and often find that your counter staffs are not present. some of your people come around 4.45 or even 4.50. this is absolute non-professionalism sir. I hope you will see into it. 2. Usually, transport companies do give a seasonal ticket or so for the frequent passengers at discounted rates and i have never seen any thing of that sort in your company except that system of card, which is not much worth or useful or economical. 3. You have your buses going to khorfakkan and drop people in fujairah, whereas you dont have any buses plying from khorfakkan or fujairah to dubai. khorfakkan buses dont take passengers from fujairah and only dubai transport operates in fujairah-dubai route. why cannot you make your buses cater for those people travelling between fujairah and sharjah or make arrangements for your khorfakkan buses to pick-up passengers from fujairah? 4. I really feel that sharjah transport needs to improve a lot. the data you have given here doesnt give real relief to the public.

    rajeeve chelanat, sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  2. Added 14:02 October 18, 2010

    Buses moving masses at what speed? Is there any accountability for the time people have to waste due to traffic every day,From Safeer Mall to Al Mulla underpass 60-75 minutes have become norm for commuters.

    vickram singh, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  3. Added 13:19 October 18, 2010

    I highly appreciate the efforts of Sharjah Transport for such service. But it is honestly hard for a first time traveller, as there is no information available at the bus stations on the route , fare and timings. Also we have to wait long durations for a bus. After the bus arrives , we have to wait inside the bus. After the bus starts, it takes 3 times the time and long route to reach a short route destination. Example: it took 30 mins from Jubail station to reach clock tower. I appreciate the time and route is shortened. Thank you for your patience reading.

    Anonymous, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

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