Locals and visitors can now look forward to better city connections in Dubai with the latest accounement from Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to add 636 new buses to the roads.
The AED1.1 billion contract to purchase these buses is part of a wider city plan to work towards the Dubai Urban Plan 2040 targets and Public Transport Zero Emissions in Dubai 2050 Strategy – aligning with HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai’s vision to establish a leading smart, efficient and sustainable public transportation system.
The contract includes several types of buses to suit the various routes and services across the Emirate, including 40 electric buses (the largest and first of their kind in the UAE), 76 double-decker buses, 70 articulated buses and a whopping 450 city service buses. Currently, a fleet of 1,518 buses service Dubai’s roads, transporting around 370,000 passengers a day.
Delivery of the buses, all of which will be fitted with Euro 6 engines and comply with European specifications for low carbon emissions, will take place from this year through to 2025, so expect to see shiny new buses on Dubai’s roads very soon!
“Our goal is to offer best-in-class services to public transport users and accommodate the sustained growth of public bus ridership. The deal illustrates RTAβs determination to make public transport the preferred mobility mode for residents to increase the share of public transport journeys to 25 percent by 2030,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at RTA .