Source: The National

All aboard for a free ride
  

ABU DHABI-  JUL 01:  As the fleet of new turquoise-green buses took to the streets of the capital yesterday morning, the reception from the public seemed a little cool.

Even the fact that they were free of charge did not appear to cut much ice with commuters.

At about 9am, the Route 5 bus between Marina Mall and Al Meena Shopping Centre was nearly empty. By midday, however, when the temperatures had reached 42°C, interest had warmed considerably. The air-conditioned buses offered a welcome retreat from the afternoon sun and all seats were taken and it was standing-room only.

With departures every 10 or 20 minutes, passengers did not have to wait long for buses. At one point, two even turned up at the same time, one behind the other, the result of first day teething problems no doubt.

From the malls – Marina, Abu Dhabi, Al Wahda and Al Meena – to Carrefour and points in between, the buses were running on time, even if passengers were not always aboard.

“It is only the first day, people have to get to know about the service,” said one bus driver, parked behind Carrefour, before driving his empty bus back up Airport Road.

Even though the Department of Transport had erected metal signs displaying the four routes at parking bays, some residents appeared puzzled by the appearance of the buses, trundling into the lay-bys normally occupied by taxis.

Sitting near the back of the bus, Abbas Abdul Qader, 50, said he had been waiting for a taxi but had decided to hop out of the heat when the opportunity arrived.

“It’s very hot outside to wait for a taxi,” said Mr Qader, an Indian grocery worker. “From now on I am going to use [the bus] every day.”

However, Mr Qader, like many others boarding the bus, would still have to get used to the idea of getting out at designated stops along the route.

His grip on his suitcase tightened when bus driver Muhammed Gulam told him he could not be let out at the next stand.

“I’m not allowed to stop there,” Mr Gulam, 45, said. “I’ll get in trouble.”

Mr Qader had to be assuaged by an inspector riding along with them. In the end, he waited only an extra minute before being able to get off after the traffic signal.

Mr Gulam made an exception for others, such as Kumari Wilfred Gomez, 37, who tried flagging down the bus in front of Spinney’s, which is nowhere near an actual stop.

“It’s the first day,” Mr Gulam said to the inspector before pulling over.

“I don’t know the route or know where the stops are,” Ms Gomez apologised after boarding. “I just saw this bus and figured I’d get on.”

Others who had been waiting for taxis tentatively approached the bus door when it pulled into the stand and chatted with the drivers.

Some stepped back into the heat while others, such as Om Salma, 50, boarded with smiles on their faces.

And those smiles widened for some who were fishing for change in their pockets before they learnt the service was free.

“I take riding buses as a social thing because when you are in the bus, you are not alone,” the Sudanese woman said. “You are with people and this gives you a sense and idea of the types of people and life in the UAE.”

The buses caught the attention of other motorists too. Taxi drivers tried to peer into the windows as they waited at traffic signals and others pointed.

Perhaps most significantly, some motorists, like Joseph Touma, 47, were leaving their cars parked, at least temporarily.

“I’ve left my car parked at work and I thought I would try the bus and encourage people to do the same,” the Lebanese man said in the presence of Inspector Khalid Saleem. “I am heading to Hamdan Street to run some errands and I can’t ever find parking there.

“I’ve been in Abu Dhabi 27 years and I am so glad this is finally happening.” This, he said, “is what we want. We want these people to drop their cars and ride a bus.”

There are four routes for the new service, which will be free until the end of the year. Buses depart from Marina Mall, Al Meena Shopping Centre, on 10th street near Abu Dhabi Mall, the City Air Terminal on 12th Street and from Carrefour.

Six more routes will be added in August.

The first bus sets off at 6am and the last leaves at midnight, with start and end times varying for the different routes.

The new city buses, which can carry about 45 passengers, are a short-term solution. They will be replaced by buses of a higher quality by the end of the year, according to the DoT. Next year, the department plans to have buses making 2,000 trips a day on 21 routes on the island. By 2010, there will be 1,360 air-conditioned buses operating in the emirate.

Jailbreak leaves officer in hospital

 
One prisoner who escaped from Dubai Police headquarters on Saturday hijacked a car and was was rearrested hours later in Ras al Khaimah.

DUBAI : Jul 01:  Emirati prisoner attacked a police officer with a metal bar as three inmates attempted to escape from Dubai Police headquarters, prompting a manhunt that ended in Ras al Khaimah.

The three prisoners, serving jail terms for offences including rape, drug use and theft, attacked policemen who had escorted them for testing on suspicion of taking drugs in jail on Saturday.

When their shackles were removed, two of the men held one of the officers down while a third hit him with a metal bar from nearby scaffolding. The policeman was in serious condition in hospital. Two others were less seriously injured.

Officers overpowered two of the fugitives, but the third escaped in a hijacked car.

Police gave chase but managed to recapture him only in the early hours of Sunday morning in Ras al Khaimah.

A committee immediately began assessing the breach of security to find out how the escape had happened. Maj Gen Khamis al Mazina, the acting chief of Dubai Police, said yesterday the incident was the first of its kind and police were determined to find out what had gone wrong.

“The three prisoners were being transported from the general department of criminal investigation to the department of forensic sciences and criminology to get a drug test after an Asian man, who works for the central prison’s catering company, was arrested in connection with smuggling drugs into the prison and supplying drugs to the three men,” he said.

“All those involved in smuggling the drugs, including the two suppliers from the outside, who are UAE nationals, have been arrested.”

Maj Gen Mazina said he believed the situation had been handled adequately but an undeniable error was made that allowed the prisoners to overwhelm the officers, who were trying to pinpoint their mistake.

“The inmates’ shackles were removed to undergo the drug testing and the police officers did not expect the sudden attack,” he said. “Perhaps the mistake was removing the shackles.”

The policemen were trained in self-defence, hand-to-hand combat and the use of guns and other weapons.

The escapees, all UAE nationals, are serving a combined 58 years jail. They now face charges of assault, resisting arrest and attempting to flee.