Over 42.7 million use Sharjah public transport in 2015

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Over 42.7 million use Sharjah public transport in 2015

With improved service offerings, Sharjah residents are increasingly opting for public transport means, the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority has said. - Supplied photo

Sharjah - "Our bus and taxi fleets transported around 117,000 passengers every day last year. This was 21 per cent higher than the passengers transported in 2014."

Published: Sat 30 Jan 2016, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Sun 31 Jan 2016, 7:23 AM

The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) recorded a significant rise in the number of people opting for public transport last year.
Abdulaziz Al Jarwan, Director of SRTA for Transport Affairs, said over 42.7 million passengers used the public city and intercity buses and taxis in 2015. "Our bus and taxi fleets transported around 117,000 passengers every day last year. This was 21 per cent higher than the passengers transported in 2014."
He said the four franchise taxi companies operating 5,009 cars in Sharjah ran just under 36 million trips and covered 469,832km in 2015 - or 16,500 daily trips. The maximum number of trips was recorded in May at 3.2 million.
Al Jarwan said the authority ran 300,722 bus trips on nine city routes or 422 stops, including a 24-hour route from Al Jubail to Al Ghubaiba in 2015. "Up to 5.6 million passengers were transported on 98 SRTA public buses, which covered 23,000km last year." December recorded the maximum number of bus passengers in Sharjah last year at 2.6 million. SRTA ran 253,370 intercity trips in 2015. "Up to 15,800 passengers were transported on intercity routes last year - a rise of 23 per cent as compared to 2014."
Sharjah's public transport means in numbers

Means	Fleet Strength	Number of trips/passengers
Taxis	5,009	36m trips
City buses	98	5.6m passengers
Intercity buses	130	5.7m passengers

Over 5.7 million passengers were transported by 130 intercity buses on 14 routes or 192 stops last year. During the Eid Al Fitr holiday alone, 142,000 passengers used the intercity buses.
Al Jarwan noted that people are increasingly saying yes to public transport because of improved service. "The SRTA adwded 39 intercity buses to its ... fleet last year." The frequency period for intercity public buses was reduced to 25-30 minutes. "Up to 130 buses are now operated on our 14 intercity bus routes." Users of Sayer prepaid e-cards on SRTA public buses now enjoy a 25 per cent discount on their trips, he disclosed.
Al Jarwan said the SRTA assigned 55 quality inspectors to provide safer trips for the public and curb violations. "Our inspectors issued 2,268 fines against bus and car drivers for illegally transporting passengers ... particularly in hotspots such as Al Rolla, Al Jubail, Sharjah International Airport, Al Saga, and the industrial areas."
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com