Two new bus routes from Sharjah to the Global Village and Jebel Ali Village in Dubai were launched on January 15.
The move by Dubai Transport Corporation (DTC) has been made to make commuting easy for people during the Dubai Shopping Festival, Ammar bin Tamim, marketing manager, DTC, said yesterday.
Six buses from Sharjah will travel to the Global Village and two to Jebel Ali Village at the DSF site. Buses will leave from Rolla Square and City Centre, with the fares to be Dh5 each.
He said: "The new service has become very popular. All routes from Sharjah to Dubai, including the two drawn up for the shopping festival, are drawing more and more passengers.
"The number is expected to surge even further. Passengers feel the bus service is convenient because they can get to various places in Dubai. Private taxis from Sharjah do not want to go to those areas. Another advantage is that buses leave every 15 minutes."
A study is underway to set up bus stops at several points in Sharjah and the Ajman border in the next three months.
Sultan Al Suwaidi, head of Operations, DTC, said: "The day the service was launched, buses left every 10 minutes with 15 passengers. Now in 15 minutes all the buses get full."
Abdullah Al Zari, director of Sharjah Transport, said the service has marked a new beginning in commutation.
Regarding allegations by private taxi owners that they are losing business, he said: "It is true they are losing business, but we have reduced traffic and minimised pollution. All taxis in Sharjah will be franchised and a public transport system will be introduced."
Gulf News
