Sharjah-Kalba bus route transports 85,000 passengers in six months

The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority is now operating 19 intercity public bus routes.

The public bus route No E116, which connects Sharjah with Kalba city, has attracted up to 85,000 passengers since its expansion from Khor Fakkan to Kalba in May.
The bus route expansion was meant to ensure passengers' convenience and encourage more customers to use public transport, according to a senior official.
Abdulaziz Al Jarwan, director of transport affairs at the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA), said the bus route was initially ending at Khor Fakkan, "but it has been extended to Kalba city since May".
Six of the 12 buses operating on the route are now running to Kalba, with a frequency of 30 minutes, he added. "As such, 12 buses are now transporting passengers from Sharjah to
Khor Fakkan and Kalba, and back."
"The move is meant to meet the pressing demand considering the increasing number of passengers on this route."
Al Jarwan said an average of 425 passengers were using the service on a daily basis. "The 12 buses running on this route ran 3,400 trips over the period from May to November this year."
The SRTA is now operating 19 intercity public bus routes. "The intercity buses starting from Al Jubail main bus station opposite the fish market in Sharjah city plies to several destinations in other emirates." All intercity buses, particularly those on long distance, have comfortable seats, advanced alarm system and LCD screens to display the trip data, Al Jarwan stated. "All the intercity buses are fitted with four internal and external CCTV cameras and a special camera for alerting the bus driver while reversing or driving ahead."
Recently, the RTA Sharjah has started operating bus route E311 to connect Sharjah with Al Rashidiya metro station.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com