Dubai Roads and Transport Authority officially launched (Bus on Demand) service in a number of regions of the emirate, including Al Barsha (1), Dubai Internet City, International City, The Greens, and Dubai Silicon Oasis after a successful trial period, according to the plan drawn up for this initiative.
The executive director of the Public Transport Agency at the Roads and Transport Authority, Ahmed Hashem Behroozyan, said that the bus service on demand is one of the means of transportation based on the principle of the first and last mile by operating small buses to work on demand using a smart application (bus on demand) in specific areas of the Emirate of Dubai ".
"After a period of successful trial for this vital service, the authority decided to launch it officially in the aforementioned areas, which also includes a number of important and vital points, which are receiving the attention of the public from various segments of society in the Emirate of Dubai.
He expected that this service would witness a wide response by the users of mass transportation, especially as it is a convenient transportation that suits the needs of the public and is easy to reach and has a flexible path that makes it more suitable for some groups. The strategy and objectives of the initiative include serving areas with low demand for mass transportation, Reducing operational expenses thanks to fixed service schedules, the integration of first and last mile mass transit services, easy connectivity and reduced waiting time for customers.
"Another benefit of this initiative is related to the operator, operation, and environment, as it reduces the walking distance and waiting time for the customers, and improves their experience through the use of high-quality buses. As for the operation, the bus is smaller and less fuel-consuming and the initiative's intelligent scheduling system reduces wasted kilometers. As for the environment, the initiative contributes to reducing carbon emissions and reducing private vehicle trips in service coverage areas. ”
He explained that the authority worked in the past period to enter geographical data for the mentioned areas, which are: Al Barsha (1), Dubai Internet City, International City, The Greens, and Dubai Silicon Oasis, so that the passengers and workers in these areas, which are covered by this service, can determine points Their presence and track the bus's movement times until it reaches their locations.
Behroozyan pointed out that the smart response system for passenger demand for public transport is based on the idea of connecting some areas with small public buses from their locations, through a smart application that allows customers to determine their path from the starting point to the point of arrival and pay the transportation tariff, stressing that the service provides an innovative solution for first-mile flights And the last between these areas and the areas of residential customers and the nearest station for mass transportation.
The Executive Director of the Public Transport Agency at the Roads and Transport Authority affirmed that the Authority was able during the trial operation of the aforementioned regions to also stand on the extent of service efficiency in terms of accessibility for the passenger, the response time, and the time period for the flight to reach the target site, where a questionnaire was done in the metro stations For residents and workers in these areas to know their needs, ideas and visions about this service before it is fully activated, so that it is on the level of their ambitions for safe and easy transportation.
The field survey was carried out based on a number of criteria, including population groups used for service, vehicle ownership, transportation options, the nearest stations and public transport stops, preferred options for transportation (walking distance, waiting time, etc.) in addition to other criteria such as comfort, punctuality , On-demand service, the proximity of service to homes and transportation destinations, reasonable tariffs, and the authority also used best international practices in this field such as Spain, Germany, the United States and Finland.
The authority relied on providing a bus service on demand on other criteria, including optimal use of the land, the quality of commercial activities and the average income of individuals, age groups and population density, avoiding competition with the current system of public transportation and requests received from the public.