In 4 regions, including International City and Al Rawda

Buses on demand in Dubai, free of charge for 4 weeks

Five dirhams per bus trip starting from February 2021. From the source

Director of the Planning and Business Development Department at the Public Transport Corporation at the Roads and Transport Authority, Adel Shakeri, told «Emirates Today»: “The public minibus service, which the passenger requests to reach at his location, which was recently launched by the authority in four areas in Dubai, will be Free for four weeks in those areas, for service and request, and will provide a discount after the end of the free period, ranging between 20 and 30%, on the fees of five dirhams per trip, until next February 2021.

Newly launched areas include: Dubai Academic City, The Greens, Dubai Silicon Oasis and International City.

Shakeri pointed out that the launch of the service in these areas comes within the framework of the provision of the "on-demand bus" service, which is part of the public bus transport system in Dubai, which was launched by the authority as part of the projects that promote comfortable, flexible and encourage the use of mass transport. Transport the passenger from his location, or from the closest point to his location, to the nearest public transport station, such as the metro or the main lines of public buses.

The passenger can request the service through the smart application, by choosing the bus route that can pass in front of his door or work location, and he can also determine the seat, pay the fees and know the time it takes for the bus to reach him through the application before it starts its journey.

Shakeri stated that the "Bus On Demand" service is a joint service that was officially launched last February, in cooperation with the "United Trans Via" company, after the authority completed the trial operation stages of the service, which began in 2018 in a number of areas in Dubai.

"Passengers can request a bus via the Dubai Bus On Demand application," he added, stressing that the service gives the customer an additional option for a comfortable public transport system that is easily accessible, and is considered more convenient than the traditional fixed-track bus.

Shakeri identified the main target group of the service with the users of the metro service and the residents of the area in which the service is provided, stressing that the strategic goal of the service in the long term is based on achieving a qualitative leap in public transport and supporting means of transportation in the first and last mile.

He explained that "such flexible alternatives in mobility will contribute to reducing dependence on private vehicles and encouraging the use of mass transport."

Early stage success

The Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai confirmed that the implementation of the (Bus on Demand) project achieved success during the early stages of the project, and was well received by public transport users, prompting the authority to evaluate the possibilities of expanding services in a number of regions and re-distributing buses, according to the rate of Demand in regions where buses are operated.

Adel Shakeri:

"The service supports flexible mobility solutions, and the number of passengers exceeds expectations."

Discount after the end of the free period ranges between 20 and 30%.

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