Five new routes added to Dubai bus network

Essa Abdul-Rahman Al Dossari, CEO of Public Transport Agency of the RTA, said the new development came as a result of elaborate studies and extensive site surveys carried out by the agency’s dedicated team in order to assess the requirements and demands of bus users.

“We have an eight-member dedicated route rationalising team, whose only job is to study and survey the routes. They are the best experts when it comes to route rationalisation, carrying out concentrated studies on each and every route and taking the best possible decision,” said Al Dossari.

Three of the new routes — C4, C5 and C55 — will connect Al Aweer Bus Depot with Gold Souk, Naif Road, Burj Nahar, Clock Tower, Lamcy Plaza, American Hospital, Al Wasl Hospital etc.

Buses on the other two routes — C7 and C9 — will start from Al Qusais Bus Depot and go through Hor Al Anz (1), Omer bin Al Khattab School (2), Abu Hail Road and Abu Baker Al Siddique Road before heading off to the British Consulate and Dubai Centre for Special Needs.

The routes that were merged or extended include several key normal as well as feeder routes.

Mohammed Abu Baker Al Hashimi, Director of Planning and Business Development, Public Transport Agency, said the transit time on several lines will be enhanced, including 11A, 11C, 11M, 12, 32C, 33, 64, 93, C1, C2, C19, F1, F13 and F46. The path of Route (F46), a metro station feeder service, will be stretched to the International Media Production Zone.

The RTA has deployed a number of double-deckers as well as standard buses on the new routes, which have already begun services.

Double-decker buses will also be deployed on Route C10, and the service of 53 and C3 will be rerouted in a way that Route C3 will terminate at Hor Al Anz Station.

To go with the merger and extension, a number of routes that were deemed redundant have been abolished from the beginning of June. These routes include 5, 5x, 6, 9D, 14, 18, 19, 20, 23, 41, C8. Two other lines x10, 12x had been abolished on May 15 while three more routes — 91, 91A and x92 — were also abolished early last month.

Al Hashemi insisted that the routes were cancelled after finding out their redundancy through a thorough study. “Those routes that compete with other modes of transport and those with very limited demand shall be abolished. We continue the studies and if we find that there is a strong case to bring the routes back, we might consider them again,” he said.

shafaat@khaleejtimes.com