Al Ain // The UAE's "garden city" is to get its own bus service to match the rapid development and growth in population expected in coming years.
The Department of Transport is to launch four routes before Ramadan next month and another four before the end of the year, officials said yesterday.
Saeed al Hameli, general manager of the DoT's public bus services, said the buses would run between the outskirts and the town centre, linking key locations such as Tawam Hospital, Al Ain Airport, Hili Park and Bawadi Mall.
"We think we will achieve a very good response on launching the service since Al Ain's structure of design is from the centre of the city and our services are running to cover east and west and north of Al Ain and link the major landmarks," Mr al Hameli said.
The service will be increased to 17 routes with a total of 350 buses by 2011, he said.
"It will grow side-by-side with the development [of the city] and over the next few years we will be ahead of the development."
Fares will range from Dh1 to Dh10, depending on the length of trip, Mr al Hameli said, with trips between the suburbs and the town centre costing a maximum of Dh5 and costs rising for longer journeys, such as to the eastern edge of the city and to the town of Sweihan.
The buses, painted white and orange, are manufactured by Mercedes and have low floors and automatic doors to make them accessible for pushchairs or wheelchairs. Buses will arrive every 30 minutes during peak hours this year, with the frequency increasing to 15 minutes in 2010 and to 10 minutes in 2011.
The DoT has increased the frequency of buses between Al Ain and Abu Dhabi to one every 30 minutes by introducing 15 refurbished buses on the route last week, Mr al Hameli said. The wait between buses was more than two hours earlier.
In addition, three new long-distance routes will open next year, connecting Al Ain to Abu Dhabi International Airport, Dubai and Sharjah. Buses on these routes will have toilets, catering and entertainment.
"With all the new development in Al Ain city, this was to avoid future challenges for transport. It is also to connect Al Ain city with Abu Dhabi and provide the same level of service as Abu Dhabi," Mr al Hameli said.
People waiting for inter-city buses will no longer have to cope with the heat after the department yesterday opened a temporary air-conditioned bus station. The tent structure is open from 6am to 11pm and has seating for 114 people, including 24 seats in a women only waiting area. A permanent station is to be built at the same location. At present there are buses making regional trips to places including Sweihan and Abu Dhabi city, Mr al Hameli said.
Anand Chaudry, an employee at the Al Ain branch of HSBC who commutes from Buraimi in Oman, said he tried to commute by bus when he first moved to Al Ain about seven months ago, but had given up because "the service was really, really poor".
"If one bus is gone, you know it is another two hours. Sometimes the bus is cancelled and they do not tell you anything," he said.
Mr Chaudry, who is from Mumbai, relied on taxis until he bought a car about a month ago.
"Al Ain definitely needs a new bus service - more than Abu Dhabi, in fact, because places are very far off," he said. "People used to wait for hours sometimes for the bus because they did not have any other option because they could not afford taxis."
Mr al Hameli said a study had been conducted to estimate the demand for public buses but a further study would be required once the service started.
"We are working on the availability stage and further improvement will be taken based on service demand," he said.
The city bus service in Abu Dhabi became instantly popular when it was launched with four routes more than a year ago.
Taxi driver Mehmood Gul said he did not expect the new bus service would hurt business much.
"There is a difference between the kind of people that get taxis and the kind that are willing to wait for the bus," he said.
"It has a lot to do with time. Al Ain is very big so it's not possible for the buses to go everywhere. Taxis will offer door-to-door service."
Earlier this month, the Abu Dhabi taxi service operator TransAD announced plans to put another 1,400 taxis on Al Ain's roads by the end of the year.
Al Ain's population is expected to grow by 21 per cent over the next five years alone, according to the Urban Planning Council, which envisages a three-fold increase in residents by 2030, from 374,000 at present.
mchung@thenational.ae
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
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Race card
4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m
5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections:
4pm Zabardast
4.35pm Ibn Malik
5.10pm Space Blues
5.45pm Kimbear
6.20pm Barney Roy
6.55pm Matterhorn
7.30pm Defoe