Special Features
Water Buses to ply Dubai Creek
Water bus, which is considered the first mass marine transportation service in the Middle East, will start providing its services at Dubai Creek on July 15.The Roads and Transport Authority that there will be four operating routes between the two sides of the creek and one tourist service route. The tourist service route will be from Al Shindagha station to Al Seef station and costs Dh25 for each person and the trip is 25 minutes long," A one-way regular trip across the creek will cost Dh 4.
The commuter services are from Al Seef station to Bani Yas station, Al Sabkha station to Bur Dubai station, Old Dubai Souq station to Al Seef station and Old Souq station to Bani Yas station. The water bus will run daily from 6am to 11pm.
Engineer Eisa Abdul Rahman Al Dossary, CEO of Marine Agency, said initially, 10 water buses, manufactured locally, will serve four routes and five stations along the creek. He also announced that payment for the water bus will be done through daily tickets issued automatically through prepaid smart cards or through instant cash payment.
The overall cost of the water bus project is around Dh10 million; one bus costs Dh 800,000 and can carry 35 passengers at a time. The RTA signed an agreement with the Singaporean Penguin Co. to operate and maintain the water bus at a cost of Dh 8.9 million for two years.
Quick Facts: -Ten water buses will be operational on July 15. Each bus is 12 metres long, 4.2 metres wide and weighs 8 tonnes. -Each bus has two engines operating on diesel. -The buses are made from aluminium and each bus has two hulls. -The buses are air-conditioned, have LCD screens, comfortable seating and usability by people with special needs.
