As announced
last week, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has broadened the
scope of the trial operation of Bus on Demand service to include the Dubai
Media City as of 15 April 2018.
The
bus on demand service is part of RTA’s initiatives under the Dubai Future
Accelerators. The trial Bus on Demand service will be free of charge and last
for three months.
According
to Mr Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency, the Dubai Media
City has several vital hotspots such as Nakheel Harbour & Tower Station,
American University of Dubai, Dubai Commercial Bank, and Aurora Tower.
RTA
has recently added the geospatial data of Al Barsha 1 & 2, Al Warqaa 3
& 4 and Dubai Media City to the MVMANT
App. During the free trial operation of the service in the three communities, commuters
will be possible to assess the service efficiency and accessibility to riders,
response time, and the journey time to destination.
The
Bus on Demand service will be offered through the MVMANT app available on
Google Play and Apple Stores on smartphones and devices. The 18-seater buses
will operate on flexible routes and schedules, and bus drivers can communicate
with service requesters through the app to reach the nearest point to their
destinations.
“We
anticipate a broad response to this service from public transport users,
especially as the widening of service covers important areas and passes through
Dubai Metro and Tram stations. Thus, it contributes to the integration of
public transport network, and eases the mobility of commuters to their
destinations quickly and safely,” Mr Bahrozyan added.
“The smart response to the demand of public
transport riders is based on the idea of linking certain localities with mini
public buses calling at their locations, through a smart app. The App enables
commuters to figure out their routes from the start point up to the final
destination, book their preferred seats, and pay the fares. The service offers
a creative solution for the first or last mile journey between the homes of
riders and the nearest public transport station,” he explained.
As
part of the initiative, a survey will be conducted at metro stations for
residents and employees at Al Barsha, Al Warqaa and the Dubai Media City to gauge
their needs, ideas and views about the service before moving to the full
operation phase.
In
fact, RTA has commissioned a site survey and an opinion poll prior to the
launch. Based on the findings of the survey, the bus on demand service will
target to serve workers, occupational specialists, and those in the retail and
services business.
The site survey was based on several parameters such
as demography of service users, car ownership, mobility options, nearest public
transport station, preferred mobility choices, service proximity to homes and
destinations, waiting time, and comfort, etc.