Bus lane to connect Sharjah and Dubai

Sharjah: A dedicated bus lane will soon be set up between Sharjah and Dubai in order to relieve motorists from the daily traffic congestion.

"A special committee has already been formed to implement the plan, and we are finalising the details," said a senior official at Sharjah Transport Authority.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of the three-day Sharjah Urban Planning Symposium (SUPS) that ends today.

The first phase of implementing the bus lane will be in three areas on the Sharjah/Dubai border: Al Taawun Road, Al Ittihad Road and Emirates Road.

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Faster commuting There are currently two inter-emirate bus routes that transport passengers from Dubai to Sharjah. Passengers can either get a bus from Al Ghubaiba station at Bur Dubai or the station at Deira, which leaves passengers at the main bus station near the Sharjah Fish Market.

"By improving the services of the public transport system, commuters will then have an incentive to use the inter-emirate buses because they will get to their destination faster than using their own vehicles," the transport official said.

"Ultimately, the motorists will also benefit because the buses will not add to the traffic congestion."

The launch of the bus lane will be headed by the Sharjah Transport Authority and the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai, in collaboration with the Sharjah Directorate of Town Planning and the Directorate of Public Works.

Mirroring city growth The public transport system must be aligned with the growth of the city for it to work successfully, said an academic yesterday at the Sharjah Urban Planning Symposium.

"There is an urgent need to develop an effective system in Dubai that will help in achieving lower expenses, simplified procedures, improved safety and increased efficiency," said Dr Akmal Abdul Fatah, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the American University of Sharjah.

Abdul Fatah presented a research paper titled, "Factors Affecting the Service Performance of Public Buses in Dubai," which pointed out the problems affecting passengers. A methodology was developed to identify the significant factors affecting the bus system.

During his presentation, he explained that the journey time of the buses was affected by lack of punctuality and information found at bus stops.