Abstract
United Arab Emirates citizens use various forms of transport. Bus transportation is considered as a form of transportation that can be used for the benefits of the residents. This form of transportation is massive plying 32 routes and transporting over 30 million individuals per day. There are 5 zones in Dubai with each zone having its own bus fare with a carrying capacity of 31 individuals. The advantages of the bus system are that there are cost savings made in terms of energy, money and time. The rapid growth of population in Dubai has led to massive congestion, which is the main disadvantage of the system. Areas of improvement for the bus services is that there should be ease in the congestion of vehicles and creation of a security system to ensure the safety of items. Singapore is a country that uses the bus system, though its system is far much developed as compared to that of Dubai. Improvements in the public transport system will aid in ensuring that time is not wasted and there is less occurrence of accidents.
The United Arab Emirates, normally Dubai, boasts a harmonious existence of both traditional and modern forms of public transportation. A significant number of people still use traditional modes of transport such as camels and small motorboats referred to as Abrams to get across some parts, for instance, from Deira to Bur Dubai. On the other hand, most of the people use the modern and advanced modes of transportation such as taxis, buses, metro and air transport. This essay will focus on bus transportation in Dubai, its advantages, disadvantages, and how it can be upgraded to benefit the people of Dubai. ("Dubai Transportation - Public Transportation Modes in UAE", 2016)
Bus Transport
The system of public bus transport in the United Arab Emirates is massive and well advanced for a first world country. It is managed and operated by the Road and Transport Authority. Nearly thirty million people are transported by bus on a weekly basis in this country, which also boasts around 193 routes on weekdays. There are 59 distinctive routes in the public bus system which transport an average of 200,000 people every week. However, this mode of transport is mostly used by those people in the low-income bracket and nothing has been done enough to lure the high-income earners into embracing it. Hence, traffic congestion a major problem in this country, persists. Buses operate within the Dubai city and the bus fares depend on the destination one intends to reach. These buses are high quality and custom-built with air conditioning, individual seats, a fare equipment system that is computerized and a destination display system that is electronically operated.
Most of the buses in Dubai have a capacity for carrying 51 passengers and 10 standing ones. Al Awir and Al Qusais are the only two hi-tech bus depots where this bus fleet is maintained. There are more than nine bus stations, 1600 bus stops, 153 wayside shelters for passengers and time tables at busy bus stops that are almost 500 in number. There are five zones in Dubai and the bus fares in each zone is different from the others. The passengers purchase Nol cards that are found at metro stations, RTA outlets, and other bus stations, to pay bus fares. The bus services link business, residential and industrial districts.
There are several advantages associated with bus transportation in the United Arab Emirates. The modern advanced system of public transportation, which was launched by Road Transport Authority (RTA), has a number of advantages as it serves to save energy, money, and time of the people who live there. UAE residents can travel around the city without any difficulties due to a great number of routes that span around the country including many bus stops that are 200-300 meters apart. Passengers in Dubai can program their appointments according to the bus schedules hence saving time and inducing comfort. The new system of payment using Nol cards has made public bus transportation cost effective. As compared to those with private vehicles, this mode of transport is cheaper since there is no maintenance cost or fueling. ("Transportation in the UAE", 2016)
Although bus transport has helped ease the lives of many Dubai residents, especially those in the low-income group, it also has some disadvantages. The major disadvantage is the traffic congestion that leads to wastage of time. The main cause of congestion is the rapid growth in the population of Dubai. The public bus transport is associated with noise pollution. There is also the problem of parking places being taken by others who use this system of transport. Another cause of congestion is careless driving that has led to the death of hundreds of people every year.
Public bus transportation in Dubai needs to be improved in several ways. First is to minimize the traffic congestion associated with it. Secondly, the Road Transport Authority should design a security system that will reduce any cases of theft among the passengers. Last but not least, the RTA should also focus on getting the high-income earners to use this mode of transport even if it will introduce high-class buses for high-class residents of Dubai.
A major problem faced by the RTA in the United Arab Emirates is the traffic congestion, encouraging the use of public transport, improving the transportation environment and transportation safety; as this country heavily depends on the roads for public transportation. The Road Transport Authority is responsible for ensuring that there are no such problems in the public transportation sector. It is, therefore, seeking to switch this dependence from roads onto the water taxi service, train network and other modes of transportation. Initially, RTA had planned to modify and build more roads, a plan that is still considered worthy. According to the most recent research, the RTA plans to construct 500km of roads. This will include new ring roads in the key development areas such as Business Bay, Bur Dubai, and Jebel Ali Airport. Although the value of development in Dubai will be enhanced by this efficient system of transportation, a number of the residents believe that a well-timed combination solution is fundamental to solving this traffic congestion issue. (Egbert, 2016)
Singapore is another city that uses the bus transportation system. The two main providers of public transport in Singapore are SMRT Buses Ltd and SBS Transit Ltd. The Public Transport Council (PTC), is responsible for the regulation of bus operations. PTC watches over bus service operators, bus service performance, MRT and bus fares and the ticket payment services in Singapore. However, Singapore has a more advanced system of public bus transportation than Dubai such that it does not face the problem of traffic congestion. The bus services’ level of performance is monitored closely by PTC and hence making sure there are reliability and road safety in public transportation. ("Bus Operators | Buses | Public Transport | Land Transport Authority", 2016)
Improvements in transportation will have several positive changes in my day to day life. First, it will reduce the amount of time wasted on the road due to traffic congestion. Therefore, people will not end up canceling their appointments or being inconvenienced. Secondly, there will be minimal cases of accidents because the improvement in transportation will also lead to improved road safety measures.
In future, a mix of transportation will be better to use. This will save a lot of time for everyone as there will be alternative forms of transport in case of traffic congestion. Different forms of transport will also save passengers the monotony of using a single mode of transport.
I chose this mode of transport because it is the most widely used in Dubai. It is used by the majority of the population who are in the middle and low-income brackets. It is also these buses that contribute a lot to the traffic congestion in Dubai city. I also chose it because it is the sector that the government of Dubai has invested in technology and still plans to improve it further.
In conclusion, public bus transportation in the United Arab Emirates has improved the lives and livelihoods of the residents of this nation. Although it is very much developed and advanced, the issue of traffic congestion needs to be addressed through the construction of more roads and the introduction of new and high standard planning. Dubai, being a first world city must strive to achieve the level of the transport system that does not have any congestion or frequent road accidents like Singapore.
References
Buses. (2016). visitabudhabi.ae. Retrieved 24 April 2016, from http://visitabudhabi.ae/en/travel/around.the.emirate/buses.aspx
Bus Operators | Buses | Public Transport | Land Transport Authority. (2016). Lta.gov.sg. Retrieved 25 April 2016, from https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/en/public-transport/buses/bus-operators.html
Dubai Transportation - Public Transportation Modes in UAE. (2016). Guide2dubai.com. Retrieved 24 April 2016, from http://www.guide2dubai.com/living/transportation/public-transportation-dubai
Egbert, C. (2016). Building new roads won't solve Dubai's traffic issues | ConstructionWeekOnline.com. Constructionweekonline.com. Retrieved 25 April 2016, from http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-2121-building-new-roads-wont-solve-dubais-traffic-issues/
Public Transport. (2016). Uaeinteract.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016, from http://www.uaeinteract.com/business/PublicTransport.asp
Transportation in the UAE. (2016). Internations.org. Retrieved 26 April 2016, from https://www.internations.org/uae-expats/guide/living-in-the-uae-15537/transportation-in-the-uae-3
