Island resort to have electric buses

Two zero-emission electric buses will begin ferrying tourists around Sir Bani Yas Island resort planners announced today.

The 87-square-kilometre island resort of Sir Bani Yas.

Two zero-emission electric buses will soon begin ferrying tourists around Sir Bani Yas Island resort. The move will provide fast and eco-friendly transport around the Arabian wildlife sanctuary. The Tourist Development & Investment Company (TDIC) has ordered the 50-passenger coaches from the US and will have them running within two months. "We want the animals, especially the gazelles and flamingoes, roaming around. With this environmentally friendly solution, there won't be any noise so you can get closer to the animals," Nasser al Shaiba, the TDIC's Director of Environmental Affairs said. Mr al Shaiba said visitors could think of the transport as part of the desert island experience. The 87-square-kilometre island currently runs a fleet of Landcruisers and golf buggies to transport visitors, but vehicles are not permitted to travel faster than 50kmh to protect the wildlife. The North Carolina-based auto manufacturers DesignLine Corporation produced the electric buses specifically for the UAE climate. Tour guides will also be on board to inform visitors about the sights and provide facts about Sir Bani Yas Island, which boasts about 500 exotic animals such as the Arabian oryx, giraffes and ostriches. Lee Tabler, the CEO of TDIC, said in a statement that the advances proved to be a "shining example" of how to create a luxury resort rich in history while also protecting the environment - a core value to the developers. "Bringing the world's first zero-emission buses to operate on Sir Bani Yas Island is a perfect example of what an environmentally conscious tourism industry should be like," he said. Mr al Shaiba added that in the future, he envisioned having vehicles on the island run on solar and wind power. He expected 20,000 visitors would come to the island annually during the next few years. [e-mail]