UAE: RTA increases the frequency of buses for Expo 2020 Dubai

With only five days until the world's largest show concludes, a massive inflow of people are risking traffic jams and crowds on public transportation to attend Expo 2020 Dubai. A top official from Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority told Khaleej Times that the number of tourists traveling to the global fair on Expo Rider and conventional buses from Dubai and Sharjah has surged tenfold in the previous few days. The rush is expected to pick up in the next few days, according to Mohammed Al Ali, Director of Buses, RTA's Public Transportation Agency. As a result, the RTA is 'working on all possibilities to ensure that passengers enjoy a pleasant journey to Expo 2020 Dubai. Many Expo 2020 tourists were seen boarding normal RTA double-decker buses for the first leg of their journey to the global fair on Friday (March 25) morning at the Jubail bus station in Sharjah. To meet the increasing demand, Al Ali disclosed that the RTA had dispatched more double-decker buses from Al Jubail in Sharjah to the Al Baraha and Al Ghubaiba bus stations. "The Expo Riders are running at full capacity of 55 seats and others were using standard buses to reach Al Ghubaiba and Al Baraha stations before continuing their journey on the Metro,” Al Ali said, adding that the capacity for double-decker buses at Al Baraha and Al Ghubaiba has been doubled to accommodate 74 people per bus. “We have seen more people travelling to Expo by standard RTA buses and have accordingly increased the number of buses and deployed double-decker and coach bus types to increase the capacity," Al Ali remarked. To satisfy the high demand, RTA has added 31 buses to the 157 buses that had been assigned around the UAE over the previous two weeks. On average, 37,500 people have used the Expo Rider per day, while 246,000 people have used the Expo's internal shuttles to get around the site. What are the options for residents of other emirates who want to attend Expo? If residents of Sharjah want to take public transportation to Expo, they have three options. The Expo Rider, for example, provides free transportation from Sharjah to Expo. However, the capacity of these buses is limited. Another option is to take RTA buses to Union, Al Baraha, or Al Ghubaiba bus stations. Passengers can continue their journey by using the Dubai Metro to the Expo 2020 site. Some Sharjah buses drop off passengers at the Centrepoint metro station, where they may catch the metro to Expo 2020. Buses from Abu Dhabi will also drop off passengers at the Ibn Battuta metro station. 'The bus stand was packed' On March 19, Expo 2020 Dubai reached a milestone of 20 million visitors, falling just short of its goal of 25 million. Despite the crowds on public transportation, many residents want to keep visiting the world fair. Danish Siddiqui, a Sharjah local, has attended the mega fair multiple times but claims to have missed out on several pavilions and attractions. He took a standard RTA bus to Al Ghubaiba, then continued his journey by Dubai Metro to Expo at 11 a.m. on Friday to ensure he could check everything off his Expo bucket list. "I want to complete my Expo bucket list before the curtains are down, and will be traveling for the next two days," he said. Siddiqui claimed he couldn't board the Expo Rider because of the congestion at the Jubail bus station. "I was not expecting the heavy rush today," he said. "From tomorrow, I will be taking the Expo Rider, as my seat was reserved for the return journey." Emaad, a Sharjah resident, said he didn't expect as many people on public transportation because he had started his travel early. He said that he had left Sharjah at 9 a.m. to beat the crowd, but he was wrong, adding, "The moment I reached the bus stand, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was packed." However, Emaad claimed that the RTA had effectively assisted guests in boarding the bus and easing their travel. KMB/Expat Media
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