The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is set to launch 143 new buses that will take passengers from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and other northern cities starting next year.
Dubbed “deluxe intercity”, these coaches can accommodate up to 55 people and can offer other services including free Internet service. The buses will also come equipped with USB portals for charging mobile phones, footrests, and cup holders.
Each bus also has a hydraulic lift to assist passengers.
According to Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the Board of Executive Directors and director-general of the RTA, the move was done in line with the RTA’s integrated strategic plan to “upgrade the mass transport system in Dubai according to the best international practices, providing the best services for the users of mass transit, and keeping pace with the continuous growth in the number of users of this system.”
The provision of new buses is part of a Dh465 million programme that aims to expand RTA’s fleet of buses to 2,085 by 2019.
“The plan also calls for providing best-in-class services to mass transit users and keeping abreast of the sustained growth of ridership of these modes. It conforms to RTA’s endeavours to make public transport the ideal mobility choice of people and push the share of public transport in people mobility to as much as 30 per cent by 2030,” Al Tayer said.
