By Matovu A. Twaha www.gulftoday.ae
The nearest points to the Metro for Sharjah residents have been reduced to two after Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) scrapped three routes to its neighbouring emirate, among them one from Rashidiya Metro depot.
The authorities said “minimal demand by the users,” was the reason.
All the routes have been connected to Al Jubail Station in Sharjah. The abolishment takes effect from Tuesday, according to the Director of Business Development, Public Transport Agency Mohammed Abu Bakr Al Hashemi.
The three routes were 301, which was spanning from Al Rashidiya Metro Station, 308 from Jebel Ali Metro Station, and 309 from Al Qouz Industrial Area and Al Waha Village.
This development has not gone down well with many commuters from Sharjah with many yearning for Rashidiya-Fish Market Route.
“This was one of the closest points from the Metro,” said Hakim Ali of Industrial Area 3 in Sharjah.
When the RTA opens Metro’s Green Line in August this year, that’s when the passengers from Sharjah may have Al Qusais as the closest point for them to enjoy Dubai’s Metro.
Now, the other closest points to the Metro from Sharjah are one near Deira City Centre and at the Union Station.
For Al Hashemi, the decision has come out of viability study. “Among the other key factors prompting the agency to carry out regular revision of the Inter-City bus routes, is that it has been well established that the demand for these three routes is minimal compared to other routes.
“This warranted taking necessary action to redeploy buses on other routes based on the demand from users of these routes, and the results concluded by the ‘Study of Public Transport Agreements Signed with Other Emirates Team’, under the supervision of the Public Transport Agency.”
Meanwhile, Sharjah Transport Corporation has also made adjustment to its inter city routes adding more stop overs on Route 116 linking the Emirate to the Eastern District of Khor Fakkan, said the STC Inter City Manager, Adel Khalel Al Husney.
The route passes through Al Dhaid, and Masafi in the Emirate of Fujairah. It has now been made to make a stop over in Kelba adjusent to the abattoir. It is now plying four trips a day to and fro.
