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Abra makes life easier for Sharjah residents

SHARJAH — Abras in Sharjah Creek are providing transport services to people from Al Majara area and Irani Souq to the Courthouse and the Khalid Port in Al Khan area and vice versa. The trip costs 50 fils and takes only five minutes.

Abra, a traditional boat made from wood, is being used to transfer people in the Sharjah Creek. It takes five minutes to go from Al Majara to the other side (Court, Khalid Port).

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Abdul Salam Ahmed, an employee at a law firm who uses the Abra daily to cross the creek to go to the court, said he likes the services as it helps save time, fuel and energy. He said it takes more than 20 minutes to go from the Sharjah Clock Tower to the court as the Al Khan area is very crowded. He reaches the court every day in three to five minutes by using the abra.

Nittin Raj, an employee at the Khalid Port, said that the abra is making life easy for him, as it is difficult to find parking space near the port. He parks his car everyday near the Irani Souq and uses the abra to cross the Creek to reach his office.

Mohammed Sufian, an abra operator said that the distance is very small, as we drive directly to the other side of the creek. People are enjoying travelling in the abra which makes it easy for them to reach their work on time, as there is no traffic problem. Every day, we transport a large number of people between 9am and 1am. Most of the people use the abra in the morning time. In the evening time, the number of the customers reduce gradually.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Al Mugdad Al Swaidi, Senior Harbour Master, said that abras used to be the main means of transport between the two sides before the construction of the roads and bridges. Now, due to the traffic congestion, it is mostly being used by workers and employees working in the Court and Khalid Port. Currently, about 10 abras which belong to UAE nationals of Al Khan and Lia areas operate in the Sharjah Creek seven days a week from from morning to evening.

According to statistics, more than 50 people use the abra services every day to commute between the two banks of the Sharjah Creek.

The abras in Sharjah are all licensed by Department of Transportation and are being regularly inspected by the Sharjah Civil Defence and Coastal Guards to ensure that they are safe for the public and fit for transporting people from the two sides of the Creek. The abras are being modified by replacing the old wooden ones with new ones made of fibreglass. The two side stations will soon be upgraded and constructed for public use every day.

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