Dubai: RTA Plans to Extend the Intercity Bus Services Within the UAE

The amount of people making use of the bus and commuting on a more public level is sure to increase as Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority expands the city’s bus network and intercity bus services. More people are making use of public transport alongside the metro, tram and marine transport. This news was shared on Wednesday, following the previous RTA ‘Talk to Us’ virtual session, during which customers submitted a lot of requests, suggestions, and ideas for their services to the RTA.

The discussions were in regard to the internal bus routes in the different areas of the Dubai city and the intercity buses in the rest of the Emirates and the UAE in general,” the RTA said. The end of this targeted session saw many of its participants making practical recommendations including the extension of the intercity bus services and the overall expansion of the Dubai bus services as it helps to ease the everyday congestion problems on the public transport and bus systems.

In a report by the RTA, 89.2 million bus passengers were moved from January to June this year, representing 24.5 percent of the total number of public transport users within the first half of the year 2024. The increase of the bus fleet comes after the RTA recommended the adoption of remote and flexible working hours. The policies are projected to cut peak traffic in the key roads of Dubai by as much as 30%.
Taking into account two studies, the RTA pointed out: “A starting window that lasts for 2 hours and performing four to five remote work days a month can reduce the typical peak hour travel in the city of Dubai by 30 percent.” Other traffic demand management policies which are also being considered include an increase in the limitation of truck movements, an increase in the number of lanes exclusively for buses and taxis, and the introduction of first and last mile-type services that will convince residents and tourists to use public transport instead of private transport. The RTA is also encouraging that there is more usage of public transport and carpooling by employees.

This initiative complements the wider objectives of Dubai in terms of de-congesting the roads, promoting transportation solutions that are sustainable, and improving the overall operational efficiency of the transport network in the city. In addition, the proposed extension of the intercity bus service is expected to provide substantial benefits to daily users of the service, improve links between Dubai and the other Emirates, and assist the city in its aim to integrate the different forms of transport efficiently.

Regarding the steep growth of the population and the increased usage of the public transport system, the RTA is efficient in meeting the specific demands of the commuters and also ensuring that there is no disruption in the functioning of the entire transit system. The integration of new systems and the vision of improving public transportation on an ongoing basis evidenced by the authorities will be sinonimous with the commuting future of Dubai and the UAE.

With changes taking shape in the RTA’s strategy for the future, residents and tourists can expect efficient and dependable transport services that are suitable for their day to day commuting activities. The growth of the intercity bus service in Dubai is a major milestone in the accomplishment of getting a further comprehensive plan for a wholly efficient transport network of the city.