KHALEEJ TIMES

Dubai water bus ready to board

DUBAI - AUG 17: Two South Koreans became the first to buy tickets as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) yesterday flagged the maiden trip of its Water Bus service across Dubai Creek. The trip marked a new transport mode between Al Sabkha and Bur Dubai.

RTA officials said only one route had been opened as yet for which two buses have been earmarked. “Two other routes will be opened in three weeks, and the others, thereafter,” said Eng. Khalid Al Zahid, acting CEO of RTA’s Marine Agency.  “The tourist route will be opened in the last,” he added. In all, 10 Water Buses will operate on all the routes.

The official said that to use the Water Bus, passengers need to buy a prepaid card for Dh40 and Dh4 will be deducted each time they use this transport.

Al Zahid expressed confidence that this service would become one of the most popular modes of transport in the emirate. “It will help ease traffic in the city of Dubai as well as in the neighbouring emirates,” he stressed.

Four lines of the Water Bus will be dedicated for passenger service – from Al Sabkha to Bur Dubai, from Bani Yas to Old Dubai Souk, Al Sabkha to Al Seef and Bani Yas to Al Seef.

The service will start at 6am and will continue up to 11pm as per a pre-defined trip schedule. The service will operate at 10-minute intervals during peak hours (7am–9am) and every 15 minutes at off-peak times, the official said.

The tourist line for the Water Bus, which will operate between Al Seef Station and Al Shandaga stations, is slated to open in October this year.

The tourist service of the Water Bus would start at 8am and continue up to 12 midnight throughout the week. The trip across Dubai Creek will last 45 minutes, with one-hour interval between trips. The fare for a single trip has been earmarked at Dh25.