The RTA in Dubai has successfully placed 141 new bus shelters to improve the public transport in its urban plan to provide 762 bus shelters by 2025. This project is 40% done ,and as mentioned earlier is aimed at enhancing comfort of the users of public transits. New shelters have amenities that allow passengers waiting for the buses to feel more comfortable.
The RTA’s Director General, Mattar Al Tayer also stressed that the installation of these shelters is in furtherance of another step in the improvement scheme of public transportation facilities. “The project seeks to cater for the increasing population of people in urban areas while providing quality and efficient mobility solutions for residents and visitors,’ noted Al Tayer.
The new installations that I have observed go to various bus routes, and some of them handle more than ten bus routes at one time. Once the project is fully implemented as a ready made shelter the aim is to transport more than 182 million passengers every year.
The places for the buildings of the shelters have been worked out taking into consideration the requests for the shelters, as well as the population density and bus utilization of the area. The shelters are divided into four levels depending on daily traffic; level one including shelters for more than 750 users daily and level four for the drop-off centers. Amenities include air conditioned areas, covered outdoor areas, and other displays of necessary traveling information including schedules and headway.
Concerning access to the shelters, the architectural design is also friendly to people of determination because they adhere to the Dubai Code for People of Determination. This is in line with the “My Community…,” series of papers which attempt to brief the general public on various African communities. The “Dubai, A City for Everyone” plan for persons of determination.
