Transport is crucial for economic development of a country. Public bus transport is one of the most effective means of transport that has been in use for quite a number of years (Finn & Mulley, 2011). In ancient time, people would use animals as their main source of transport. Others would walk carrying their goods for very long distances. These ancient modes of transport were very slow prompting humans to invent faster means of transport. It is with the advent of the wheel that transport revolutionized into what it has grown to in the modern era. Road networks like the famous Silk Road route emerged when humans began using the wheel for transport.
Wide road networks support movement of people and goods between different places conveniently and at an affordable cost. These roads provide enough spaces for big automobiles to move with ease. Buses and coaches have emerged as efficient travelling means in most cities around the world. Currently, great developments are observable in public bus transports with introduction of modern busses and increase in the number of service routes. Developments in public bus transport in United Arab Emirates are likely to lower the cost of transport and enhance inter-emirates interactions, trade and development.
Generally, bus transport is in most countries mainly for transportation of people within cities and from one city to another. However, public bus transport systems are less common in rural settings with low population (Finn & Mulley, 2011). One of the greatest advantages of using buses is that it is cheap, convenient and accessible than most other types of transport. Normally, public busses transport high number of people at a particular time unlike personal cars, taxis or motorbikes. This translates to reduction on national fuel consumption as well as reduction of traffic congestion in highly populated cities. With the increasing need to raise awareness on environmental issues, use of public bus helps reduce the rate of carbon emissions by reducing the number of personal vehicles on the road at a particular time. Additionally, public buses are relatively fast and reliable, especially in cities with well-developed road networks. Nevertheless, busses are prone to traffic problems like accidents, traffic congestion and mechanical breakdown (Islam & Al Hadhrami, 2012). Mechanical challenges and congestion may lead to delay especially in major cities hence wastage of time and resources. In addition, the effectiveness of transport in public buses is dependent on the road network hence poor road networks lead to poor transports (Worku, 2013). Since road construction is a costly undertaking that requires skilled labor, expensive materials and a variety of advanced construction machinery, the government has to invest substantial amount of money for effective public bus transportation system.
Though public bus transport is already in existence in United Arab Emirates, future developments are likely to result in great changes. The department of transport introduced public bus transportation service in Abu Dhabi in the year 2008 and has continually focused at improving the system to serve the needs of various users. Within the City, the buses charge a flat rate fare of AED2 while the daily travelers currently use bus cards (Hafilat cards) to pay for the service. Based on the planned developments by the Department of Transport numerous changes will arise in the near future. However, use of buses for transport between Emirates is likely to reduce once the Etihad Rail connects all the Emirates supporting train transport which is cheaper and fast. According to Al Nahyan et al. (2012) public bus systems are likely to remain in operation due to their convenience as well as the wide road network especially in the Northern coastal region. Hawas et al. (2012) highlights some of the latest developments in the public transport sector in UAE that include introduction of additional service routes; changes in bus schedules to suit the needs of the local people; utilization of computerized fare payment systems and use of GPS systems to track movement for increased efficiency. In the near future, the residents of the UAE will have alternative means of transport within and between Emirates through use of buses and trains. Traffic congestion and accidents are the major problems associated with public bus transport in the UAE (Alkaabi, Dissanayake & Bird, 2011). However, the problem is less likely to be there in future since more parallel roads are under construction particularly in Business Bay District.
The improvements in public bus transport will certainly increase efficiency and safety as well as promote economic development (Hassan et al, 2012). Improved access to distant workplaces, schools, markets places and major cities through advancements in public bus transport will open up new opportunities for people. The planned improvements are likely to reduce accidents, travel time, transport costs and environmental pollution. Additionally, increased individual productivity due to increased access to opportunities will translate to economic development of the United Arab Emirates. The residents will have wide range of accessible means of transport to choose from depend on the cost, availability and effectiveness.
This paper addresses public bus transport mainly because most of the poor and middle-class people rely on public buses for transport. Since most people in the UAE fall in this category, advancements in this area will have the greatest impact on the social and economic issues in the country. Additionally, the United Arab Emirates is continuously expanding road network and introducing changes to enhance public bus transport. Various ongoing road network projects are affect transport all over the country by increasing efficiency as a result of reduced traffic congestion. Examples include Jumeirah Street-Al Khail link, Al Shindagah Bridge, al Ittihad Bridge and the Dubai Abu Dhabi link (Bindu, 2016). Moreover, the cost of all these projects is quite high hence the need to evaluate the likely impacts of the improvements on transport in the future.
Development in public bus transport is likely to improve my life by increasing the accessibility to major cities, opening up business opportunities and leading to possible reduction of transport expenses. Instead of using private means that requires one to fuel and maintain an auto-mobile, individuals can simply use the efficient bus system to cruise around cities with ease thus saving time and money. Taxis are also relatively more expensive as compared to bus transport. With proper management, bus transport would provide the easiest and cheapest mode of transport for people of all walks of life. Besides, it will be easier to work in different parts of the UAE hence high chances of personal and professional development. Moreover, there will be more transport alternatives when moving within a city or from one city to the other. These will open up more opportunities for individuals that will in turn promote economic development of the UAE.
References
Al Nahyan, M. T., Sohal, A. S., Fildes, B. N., & Hawas, Y. E. (2012). Transportation infrastructure development in the UAE: Stakeholder perspectives on management practice. Construction Innovation, 12(4), 492-514.
Alkaabi, A., Dissanayake, D., & Bird, R. (2011). Analyzing clearance time of urban traffic accidents in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with hazard-based duration modeling method. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, (2229), 46-54.
Bindu Rai (2016) Put On Dubai Traffic Congestion. Emirates 247. Retrieved from http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/six-road-projects-that-will-put-brakes-on-dubai-traffic-congestion-2016-01-14-1.617210 on 26th April 2016
Finn, B., & Mulley, C. (2011). Urban bus services in developing countries and countries in transition: A framework for regulatory and institutional developments. Journal of Public Transportation, 14(4), 5.
Hassan, M. N., Hawas, Y. E., & Maraqa, M. A. (2012). A holistic approach for assessing traffic safety in the United Arab Emirates. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 45, 554-564.
Hawas, Y. E., Khan, M., & Basu, N. (2012). Evaluating and enhancing the operational performance of public bus systems using GIS-based data envelopment analysis. Journal of Public Transportation, 15(2), 2.
Islam, M. M., & Al Hadhrami, A. Y. (2012). Increased motorization and road traffic accidents in Oman. Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences, 3(6), 907.
Worku, G. B. (2013). Demand for Improved Public Transport Services in the UAE: A Contingent Valuation Study in Dubai. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(10), 108.
