RTA optimises bus routes to streamline mobility in Dubai

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced changes in several public bus routes in Dubai from Nov.20, 2023, to ease the daily mobility of riders and enable them smooth and hassle-free journeys to their intended destinations across the emirate.

Changes involve renaming and restructuring certain bus routes as follows: Route 11A will be replaced by Routes 16A and 16B. Route 16A will run from the Residency and Foreigners Affairs Department, Al Awir Branch, to the Gold Souq Bus Station. Conversely, Route 16B will cover the return journey from the Gold Souq Bus Station back to the Residency and Foreigners Affairs Department, Al Awir Branch.

Route 20 will be replaced by Routes 20A and 20B. Route 20A will operate from Al Nahda Bus Stop to Warsan 3 Bus Stop. Route 20B will serve the return journey from Warsan 3 Bus Stop back to Al Nahda Bus Stop.

Route 367 will be replaced by Routes 36A and 36B. Route 36A will start from the Silicon Oasis High Bay Bus Stop and terminate at the Etisalat Bus Station. Route 36B will run in the opposite direction from Etisalat Bus Station to the Silicon Oasis High Bay Bus Stop. These measures aim to streamline the daily movement of riders.

Some other modifications will be introduced on certain bus routes as follows: Route 21 will no longer serve the Onpassive Metro Station. Route 24 will be shortened to terminate at the Dubai Festival City. Route 53 will be extended to the International City Bus Station. Route F17 will be shortened to start from the Onpassive Metro Station. Routes F19A and F19B will be shortened to pass through the Business Bay Metro Bus Stop South 2, and Route H04 will be diverted to pass through Hatta Souq. These changes are also intended to shorten the travel time and ensure faster arrival of riders to their destinations.

As for Routes 10, 21, 27, 83, 88, 95, 32C, 91A, X28, X92 and X94, the location of Metro Max Bus Stop has been shifted southward to Metro Max Stop 2 at the service road to reduce the walking distance to the buses.  As for Routes 29, 61 and C26, the location of the Metro Max Stop through which these routes pass, has been shifted to Al Jaffiliya Bus Station.

RTA's Public Transport Agency is set to enhance journey times for 33 other bus routes: 5, 15, 21, 24, 28, 31, 34, 44, 50, 51, 53, 61, 64, 95A, 96, C04, C28, E102, F01, F15, F26, F17, F19A, F19B, F24, F30, F31, F41, F48, F53, F54, F81, H04

These changes underscore RTA’s keenness to expand and integrate the public bus network with other public transport modes, such as the metro, tram, and marine transport.

By developing seamless connections between these various modes, RTA seeks to make public transport the preferred choice for commuting within the emirate.