UAE, Nov 15: Police across the Emirates are beefing up patrols to ensure safety for the Eid al Adha holiday beginning today, while public transport agencies are preparing for more travellers.

Col Maktoum Ali al Sherifi, the head of administration at Abu Dhabi Police, said preparations had been made to ensure residents' comfort and safety during the holiday.

"The police and emergency administration units are on full alert," Col al Sherifi said, "and patrolmen have been assigned to all public areas, including parks and gardens."

Street patrols have also been intensified for the week. "We are anticipating a lot of traffic, particularly in the marketplaces and the malls," Col al Sherifi said.

Dubai authorities said there would be more police patrols on the streets to ensure the safety of residents, and transport workers in the emirate said they were expecting a busier than normal schedule during Eid.

"The buses, trains, everything will be running," said Mohammed Hassan, a supervisor with the Roads and Transport Authority. "There is no vacation for transport people. Everyone works in shifts because there are so many more people on the roads during the vacations." Metro timings in Dubai remain unchanged.

Sharjah Transport will have 146 buses operating for the first two days of Eid to handle increased demand. There will also be a larger number of taxis available at popular destinations.

In Ajman, police will dispatch 25 traffic patrols to ensure good traffic flow, especially during the morning prayer hours.

Security arrangements in Umm al Qaiwain included stepping up police patrols on all roads to ensure safety and the smooth flow of traffic, police said.