Dubai to have 1,800 public buses

Dubai: Effective feeder public bus service is a must for the success of the Dubai Metro, which is set to start operation on September 9, said a senior official.

"We are fully in the business of having a comprehensive public transport network supported by the Metro and the feeder bus service," said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

He said Dubai will have 1,800 public buses by the end of the year and 2,100 buses by the end of 2010.

"The aim is to turn Dubai from a car-oriented city to the public transport-oriented city," he said at a press conference to announce the Dh1.9 billion contract given to Swaidan Trading of Dubai-based Al Naboodah Group of Companies.

The company will provide 518 tailor made luxury Citea buses manufactured by Netherlands-based VDL group between July and April next year.

The Dh1.9 billion contract includes Dh845.7 million as cost of buses and Dh1.05 billion for maintenance and service of buses for eight years.

The RTA will run a total of 787 feeder buses to carry passengers in the communities around Metro stations. Initially, 350 buses will serve the Red Line and 150 will be used for the Green Line.

The RTA has already announced 41 routes for the feeder buses to serve 29 stations on the Red Line, which is the first to open in September.

"Purchasing these new buses is part of a comprehensive strategic plan developed by the RTA to upgrade mass transport system in Dubai and attract new commuters in an effort to reduce road traffic congestion," Al Tayer said

He said the buses provided by Swaidan Trading would be deployed on feeder lines of the Metro stations. Each bus measuring 12 metres in length will have a capacity of 68 passengers.

Buses are equipped with state-of-the-art passenger information systems, a real time vehicle monitoring system and automated fare collection system.

"The high technological features of these buses will contribute to attracting larger number of commuters to use mass transport modes," Al Tayer noted.

Swaidan Al Naboudah, Vice-Chairman, Al Naboodah Commercial Group, said the contract was an excellent opportunity for the company to establish close relations with the RTA and play an important role in the progress drive of Dubai.

Will this encourage you to use the Dubai Metro? Will this help in decreasing the number of cars on the road?

i have been to germany recently, where i found very few people use cars as there transport, coz the bus service to metro is so good and on time and very convinient and there the transprot authority have magaged so well that you dont have to wait more that five minutes. i hope we can find the same streght here as well.
Jameel Ahmad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 18:01

This is good news. Will they have bus stops as well? It will make sense if they can have bus depots at strategic points in Sharjah as well
Jeremy Butterworth
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 17:27

Metro + Feeder Buses should cater almost all the requirements of people who needs to commute from point A to point B within Dubai. Use of Technology is a must and what RTA has done should be appreciated.I have only one concern, the attitude of the Bus Drivers. Along with their road related training, RTA should educate them with proper ethics
Asela
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 17:21

Its a good approach. But I hope it will help people. In dubai life is difficult without a car because everytime we wait for bus and end up taking a cap when the bus does not arrive even after hours of waiting.
Martha Estibeiro
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 17:21

Good news. Will the buses share the same lanes like other traffic or new bus lanes?
Richard
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 17:17

Everything is fine and glad to know this. Please note that there are so many bus stops inside the jebel ali free zone area. Not a single stop having shelter for the commuters. Some times we have to wait 45 to 50 minutes to get a bus. Can anybody imagine this waiting is under the hot sun. All the stops are in open aras, no shade at all in any or the stops. All are in opern areas.Hope the authorities will look iin to this matter seriously.
Gopimohan Krishnan Nair
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 16:36

Umair, I didn't read the word "free" anywhere? But last time I was in Dubai, the bus service was excellent. Yes, the journey took a bit longer than taxi, but we waited less time for buses than taxis. And the year before, taxi drivers were so reluctant to go to Deira...
Bob
Toulouse,France
Posted: June 30, 2009, 16:18

good news but will they follow the time table? Or we have to wait for hours for a bus to come and then 4-5 bus will come together?
Jef
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 13:46

Can RTA also hire drivers who can actually drive these buses as opposed to their current drivers who really dunno the steering wheel from the tyres :)
Zena
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 13:04

Very very good news. I cannot wait for trips on metro and connecting buses.
Richard
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 12:52

All this is good but they could start with providing a proper map of the existing bus routes. one big one with all the routes.
Ben
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 11:43

as the metro project was announced that to the destinations the buses will be available than the public may use metro.the metro would be best use for single person or two but with the family and childern,one cannot use it as regular.but it will make an effect to ease the congestion of traffic and for time saving people may use it frequently.
Shahzad Shaikh
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 10:58

That's good deploying more numbers of public buses, but look , are the bus stops are up to the international standards design? There are not enough areas to cater the buses, half of the outer lane will be cover especially on long buses. It is prone to accident! RTA please revise the design for Bus stops..
Danilo Carillo
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 09:33

All these are fine. But using e-bus card is very annoying some people don't know which bus run with e bus cards and which is running on regular cash. Many times i saw people have been disembarked if they did not own e-bus card. Also Its not possible to go in bus everytime to fulfill 10 points again waste of money for people who travel once or twice. RTA should take this under consideration and act accordingly after detail research
Jey
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 09:08

Dubai metro along with free feder bus service is certainly a positive approach towards combating the traffic of city like dubai, but what still remains a big question mark is that will the car users leave with ease?
Umair
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 30, 2009, 02:33