A new generation of public bus stations has opened in the Al Ghubaiba area of Dubai according to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The facilities are billed as masterpieces of modern engineering design and are said to be integrated with multi mass-transit means including the metro, marine transport and taxis.
The Al Ghubaiba Bus Station is said to occupy an area of 2,452sqm and hosts office spaces, customer service areas, retail outlets and restaurants, in addition to 50 slots for buses and 48 slots for vehicles.
The station was inaugurated by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, in the presence of Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA and other officials.
The RTA notes that Sheikh Hamdan later toured the facilities, which include six buildings that offer state-of-the-art public transport solutions. The design of the buildings are said to be environmentally sustainable and meet the needs of People of Determination. The station has a stand for 34 taxis and 60 docking stations for bicycles. The facility can handle up to 15,000 passengers per day at maximum and estimates usage by 10,500 passengers per day, the statement explained.
Shaikh Hamdam also reviewed the e-scooter service as well as projects and initiatives of the RTA to improve public bus services, bus stations to serve Expo 2020 visitors and initiatives focused on flexible mobility and shared transport. He was briefed by Al Tayer on the Al Ghubaiba Bus Station’s integrated multi-modal transport services connecting with the metro, public buses, marine transport and taxis.
The RTA added that Shaikh Hamdan then reviewed its plan for upgrading a host of bus stations to better serve Expo 2020 visitors. The plan features construction works at 17 stations/stops in places like Al Ghubaiba, Al Jafiliya and the Union Stations and the bus station serving Etisalat Metro Station.
The plan encompasses the deployment of 614 buses and the opening of 23 bus routes and six temporary stops for serving Expo visitors. Two of the six temporary bus stops are in Dubai Silicon Oasis and International City. The other four are in the Dubai Maritime City, Palm Jumeirah, Business Bay 1, and Al-Meydan. The projects are said to complement the RTA’s efforts to upgrade the public transport infrastructure to encourage people to use them in their daily commute.
