| 28 Aug 2010 |
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Arabs take the bus home this summer to save money
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Operators see demand rising by 50% during Eid holidays
Demand for bus services between the UAE and Arab countries has grown by about 20 per cent, with the figure rocketing 50 per cent in June alone.
Operators of bus services connecting the UAE to Egypt, Syria and Jordan expect an increase of another 20 per cent during the Ramadan period when several Arab expatriates travel with the families to their home countries to celebrate Eid.
Massive savings on the travel bill, especially when moving with families, prompt many Arab nationals to use bus services.
Mosaad Habib, an Egyptian worker, said he was forced to take a bus since it costs just Dh800, including the visa fees to transit Saudi Arabia. A one-way ticket to Cairo costs around Dh1200, he said.
Besides the obvuious savings, travelling by bus has other benefits like being able to performing Umrah and sufficient luggage allowance.
Sameh Al Zaini, a Syrian national said he preferred buses since he would be travelling with his family. While flying to Syria would cost anything around Dh10,000, he said bus journey for the family would only cost Dh3,000.
A representative of Sharjah's Taj Travels, Juma Abdul Ghani said his company operated weekly trips to Jordan and Syria. While a ticket to Jordan costs Dh435, the service to Damascus comes for Dh758 including the Saudi Arabia visa fee.
Attributing the demand for bus services to the cost factor, he said: "Most of our passengers are low-paid workers and limited income families who cannot afford to fly."
Anas Abu Zaid, from Al Jameel Travel said his operated daily bus service to Saudi Arabia, twice-weekly trips to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. While a ticket to Saudi Arabia costs Dh125, the agency charges Dh350 for Syria, and Jordan.
He however said buses do not run full capacity any more since low-cost airlines like Air Arabia, Nas and Al Jazeera have cut into their business by offering cheap fares.
But the month of Ramadan being busy season, he expects a 50 per cent rise in traffic until the Eid holidays.
On air services to Arab countries, Mohammed Al Abbadi, Regional Director of Egypt Air for Dubai and Northern Emirates, said fares of flights and buses cannot be compared.
There cannot be cost parity between flights and bus services since there is a big difference in reaching one's destination within couple of hours and a couple of days, he said.
Denying there was any undue cost-inflation on flights to these destinations, he said passengers who plan their holidays and book early benefit from lower fares.
© Emirates 24|7 2010
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