More buses and cooler shelters, say commuters in Sharjah

Bus services are a vital, low cost means of transport for thousands of people who travel each day from their homes in Sharjah to work in Dubai and other emirates.

The buses in Sharjah are improving, says the RTA, with more cooling fans and enhanced services. But commuters are dissatisfied with the Al Jubail station near Sharjah Corniche. Sarah Dea / The NationaShow more

SHARJAH // Bus passengers in Sharjah have complained about having to bear the heat of summer and high humidity while waiting at a major station in the emirate.

Thousands of commuters wait each morning in the heat to board inter-city buses from Al Jubail station near Sharjah Corniche. All waiting areas are covered with umbrellas. But only some have fans, and they are usually packed with passengers.

“I find that it’s really hard to stand near the fan during the rush hour because people are crowded under the umbrellas near it,” said S D, 27, from the Philippines.

Commuters from the bus station want Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to instal more fans at the station to help them cope with the heat, as many cannot afford to take taxis to reach their jobs in Dubai.

S D, a cosmetics saleswoman, pays Dh10 to reach Dubai by bus, and said the fare for a taxi was about Dh65.

Commuters can rarely afford to take taxis to reach other emirates, said Pakistani taxi driver A A, 37. “Mainly tourists can afford to go to other emirates in a cab. They usually can’t bear the heat or don’t want to wait for the bus, while residents would rather wait for the bus because it’s cost-effective,” he said.

But commuters also face overcrowding at rush hour.

“The rush hour happens between 7am to 10am. It’s really a nightmare to get on the bus, hoping that you reach your work on time,” said Muzzamil Sayed, a 45-year-old marketing employee.

Khalid Al Khayyal, head of RTA’s inter-city transport, said the authority was addressing commuters’ concerns.

“We are working on increasing the number of fans in the waiting areas and enhancing the services in Al Jubail station,” said Mr Al Khayyal.

To cope with demand during peak hours, weekends and holidays, the authority leases buses from private companies to accommodate more passengers.

It has added 39 new buses this year at a cost of Dh30 million, bringing the total to 69 inter-city buses.

A plan is also under way to replace 747 taxis between this year and the first quarter of next year, as the RTA starts to renew its fleet.

“There are 1,540 RTA taxis operating in all parts of Sharjah, with three operators working under the umbrella of the authority, bringing the total number of taxis in the emirate to 5,300, serving 45,000 residents each day,” said Abdulaziz Al Jarwan, director of RTA.

He said 28 million commuters used the authority’s buses and taxis each year.

Al Jubail bus station is the main station in Sharjah and operates around the clock, connecting the city centre with the rest of the country.