Buses Operating on Direct and Limited Stop Bus Routes from 1 May

Connects DMC, DIC and DKV to Various Parts of Dubai

Dubai-UAE: 13 May, 2012 - The public transport agency of Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced two new bus routes - Route 83 and Route 85 - that connect TECOM free zones Dubai Internet City (DIC), Dubai Media City (DMC) and Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV) to Karama and Discovery Gardens respectively.

The buses operating on the new routes can cut down the commuting time for office-goers within the free zones by almost 50 per cent.  The timings of the two bus routes takes into account the peak hours.

Badr Al Gargawi, Chief Executive Officer of Engineering Management, TECOM Investments, said: "The introduction of two new bus routes not only complements the public transport facilities in our free zones, but also eases the parking challenges and traffic congestion. RTA's initiative is in line with TECOM management's efforts to provide on-going support to employees, students and business partners in the zone.

"We expect the two new routes to bring considerable benefits to passengers who can potentially put the saved travel time to good use. Needless to say, the public transport system can be a cost effective option compared to private transport operators." 

The service comes as an immediate outcome of a survey that RTA conducted in collaboration with TECOM Investments in September-October 2011. From a sample size of over 800 workers and students, more than half said 'yes' to this bus service if provided. 

Essa Abdulrahman Al Dosari, CEO of Public Transport Agency, said: "While plotting the new routes, we have taken into consideration the existing public transport facilities and the call for enhanced services from a particular area. We also study the outcomes of our survey prior to assigning new public bus routes. The newly rolled out routes 83 and 85 will primarily connect districts such as Karama and Discovery Gardens with some of the free zones at TECOM, namely the Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Village.

"A few months is always given to test out a newly introduced service. Thereafter, a required modification is proposed taking into consideration the performance of the route during this period. An increase or decrease in the frequency of buses is suggested depending upon the utilization. It can also include minor modifications to the route alignments to cover additional areas as per passengers' request."

The total population in the free zones is 39,700, comprising 31,800 individuals from working population and 7,900 students. According to the surveyed analysis of TECOM population, the majority of the population works between 8:00am and 7:00pm. The direct bus route has been planned to address the demands of peak working hours.  The survey further revealed that a fair number of these employees and students are ready to use public transport system given a choice.

-Ends-

About TECOM Investments
TECOM Investments, based in Dubai, is a member of Dubai Holding, a global company dedicated to knowledge and life-improving industries.

Home to over 4,500 companies, including major multinationals and many of the Fortune 500 companies, TECOM Investments interests also include exclusive investments in high-growth sectors.

One of TECOM Investments' largest portfolio companies is TECOM Business Parks. It comprises 10 business parks under five industry clusters across the information and communication technology (ICT), media, education, sciences, as well as manufacturing and logistics sectors.

Dubai Internet City and Dubai Outsource Zone form the ICT Cluster, while Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City and the International Media Production Zone make up the Media Cluster.

Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City are part of the Education Cluster. Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park and Energy and Environment Park (ENPARK) compose the Science Cluster.

Dubai Industrial City comes under the Manufacturing and Logistics Cluster of TECOM Business Parks.

Building on its domestic success and vision for global expansion, TECOM Investments has conceptualised SmartCity, a venture that aims to develop knowledge industry townships worldwide. The foundation has already been laid with the development of SmartCity Malta and SmartCity Kochi.

Apart from spurring cluster development by creating purpose-built facilities and working with the Dubai and Federal Governments to develop business-friendly policies and industry regulations, TECOM Investments also focuses on 'pure play' businesses.

eHosting DataFort is a managed IT and advisory services provider.  Arab Media Group (AMG) is a leading media and entertainment organisation in the UAE, with subsidiaries covering radio broadcasting, event management and outdoor advertising.

TECOM Investments also owns share capital in Empower, a district cooling service provider; Nexgen Advisory Group, a MENA-based specialised advisory and consulting services organisation; and Energy Management Services (EMS), a leading energy savings company in the Middle East

For further information, please call:
Zeba Ahmad
APCO Worldwide (JiWin Public Relations)
Tel:  +9714 361 3590 (direct)
+9714 361 3333 (switchboard)
Fax:  +9714 388 8001
E-mail: zahmad@apcoworldwide.com

© Press Release 2012