Taking the bus gets more popular in Dubai

Dubai: One and a half million more bus rides have been taken in Dubai this year as compared to last year, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Friay.

Statistics compiled by the RTA revealed that public buses operated by the Public Transport Agency served 47 million passengers in more than 981,000 trips on 70 routes since the start of this year.

During the same time last year, 45.5 million passengers were served, which indicates a rise in bus ridership of 1.5 million.

Abdullah Yousuf Al Ali, director of the Buses Department at the RTA's Public Transport Agency, stated that the Agency is currently engaged in developing an integrated plan to upgrade the level of services provided by public buses. "This is envisaged in inaugurating a number of new buses, such as articulated and double-decker ones, which will enable us to cover 95 per cent of Dubai urban area in less than three years."

"We will also be introducing state-of-the-art inter-city buses to link the emirate of Dubai with Abu Dhabi, as well as Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Other key cities such as Al Ain, Al Dhaid, Masafi and Jebel Ali will also be covered," he added.

Last year, the RTA issued tenders for supplying 620 buses, including 170 double-decker buses, 300 articulated buses and 150 standard buses, he said. It is anticipated that RTA will take delivery in March 2009.