Commuters in Abu Dhabi hail new bus service

The hail and ride service will ferry commuters to the Abu Dhabi bus terminal and bus stops in remote areas. - Supplied photo

Commuters in Abu Dhabi welcomed the free 'hail and ride' service the Department of Transport (DoT) introduced in the suburbs of the emirate on Sunday.
In the pilot phase, the service which will carry passengers to the bus terminal and remote bus stops in Abu Dhabi and its suburbs, is available for free in Mussaffah from 6am to 10pm.  According to DoT, four dedicated routes - M1, M2, M3 and M4 - will serve stops such as Mazzyad Mall, Mussaffah Port, Dalma Mall, workers accommodation and the main Mussaffah terminal.
"This is a brilliant idea. The free ride service will be of great help to me and other passengers," said Indian salesman, Saeed Ali, 28 who commutes from Mussafah to Abu Dhabi everyday.
"I have to walk a long distance to reach the nearest bus stop in Shabiya. And with the new ride service, I can reach the bus stop easily."
Mark Endrinal, 28-year-old Filipino mechanic, who resides in Abu Dhabi but works in Musaffah industrial area, said the new bus service will be of great help to him.
"I am happy with the new bus service to the bus stops because it will ease my transport," said Endrinal.
"I use public buses to travel to and from my workplace everyday.But I have to  walk a long distance to reach the bus stop."
Ugandan resident, Hassan Kasozi, 29, a salesman in Abu Dhabi, who uses the public transport daily, said; "This is a very good move as a big number of people staying in Musaffah use public transport daily to commute to work.
"And with the free ride to ferry them to the bus stops, it would save them from the burden of walking long distances to catch a bus."
According to Kasozi, the service should also include other areas like Mafraq and Shahama.
Filipino cook, Frank Peralta, 45, said he uses the public transport to commute daily to Bani Yas area, located in the outskirts of Abu Dhabi city, for work.
"I like the new hail and ride service and I wish it to be extended to all areas in the city suburbs including Ban Yas," said Peralta.
"There is a problem of getting to the bus stops especially in areas located outside Abu Dhabi city. You have to walk for a long distance to get to the bus stop. Sometimes you are forced to hire a taxi especially during the hot weather to drop at a bus stop to catch a bus going to Abu Dhabi city."  
Peralta added that more buses should also be added to the Bani Yas route to save passengers from the burden of spending a lot of time waiting for a bus at the bus stops.
"This new bus service will contribute to the improvement of the public transport network by facilitating the daily transport of the public," the DoT said in a statement.
"DoT will evaluate the customers' feedback and their level of satisfaction to improve the service. It will also study the possibility of implementing it later in other areas in Abu Dhabi."
The officials said the hail and ride service might be expanded to other parts of the city depending on its success.

KT NANO EDIT