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Sharjah public transport buses will be affordable

SHARJAH — The upcoming Sharjah City Network of public transport buses will be 100 per cent affordable, said Director- General of STC, Abdallah M. Al Zari in an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times.

The Sharjah Public Transport Corporation (STC) will soon introduce 130 to 160 buses for 18 routes within the emirate for which the corporation has already invited pre-qualification tenders from qualified UAE and international public transport operators.

“Though the much-needed public transport system might be available by the year-end, all possibilities and key factors are being taken into consideration regarding the implementation of the system,” said Al Zari yesterday.

Giving details, Al Zari said that before fixing fares for the transport system, the class of people who would use the transport would be considered as the main factor.

“The fares will be fixed depending on the distances, so there will be no fixed tariff, but the class of people using the system would also influence the fare,” he explained.

“The public transport system is a critical need of the hour as the cost of living is rising rapidly. Keeping this point in the background, SPTC wants to give a reliable transport system to the public,” he said.

Al Zari also said that six to seven (or more) main stations would be made within the city, while bus stops would also be constructed at reserved distances. “The Rolla Square will be the main station as it is located in a central area within the city, and is also a well-known landmark,” he said. The buses will ply till Sahara Centre, and no further, he added.

Hinting at the links with the Dubai Metro, Al Zari said that as the SPTC route covered the Sahara Centre area; and if the metro project, too, was linked to this area, then an automatic link would be formed for the public. He said that connections were being formed within the eastern region as well. All buses plying within the emirate might be operated, using compressed natural gas (CNG), but that has not been decided yet, he added.

Parties interested in operating the Sharjah City Network in Sharjah have already been asked to submit their pre-qualification for the Public Transport (PT) network franchise. STC is the sole government authority to regulate and control all public transport activities in Sharjah.

“The pre-qualification aims at selecting the most appropriate operator with technical, financial and experienced capabilities to build up and operate a modern public transport bus service in the city of Sharjah,” said the director, referring to a directive issued in this regard.