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New depot to accommodate 295 buses

DUBAI — A bus depot wi be buit in A Ruwaiyyah area in the emirate at an estimated cost of Dh400 miion.

According to a Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) officia, “Phase I of the project incudes construction of a bus depot to accommodate 295 buses (144 standard and 151 articuated buses). It aso incudes a maintenance workshop accommodating 20 buses at a time.'

The depot woud aso have a washing and ceaning bay that can service 20 buses at a time.

In phase II, an administration office for about 40 empoyees and a drivers' quarters with a capacity to house 444 drivers woud be buit.

'The housing units wi consist of rooms, toiets, dining has and recreationa faciities. Food courts, shops and a mosque woud be buit in this phase,' the officia said.

In addition to A Ruwaiyyah, the RTA woud construct simiar depots in Jebe Ai, Karama, Satwa and A Quoz.

New buses

The bus purchase pan of the RTA is being carried out in severa phases. Phase I incuded the purchase of 80 Mercedes buses which are aready depoyed on three new routes and 620 buses from MAN and Soaris companies at a cost of more than Dh1 biion.

The order incudes 395 buses from MAN (170 doube-deckers, 150 articuated and 75 standard buses).

The remaining 225 buses are being purchased from Soaris Co. (150 articuated buses and 75 standard buses).

The RTA has started getting the deivery of the new buses which wi phase out the od feet.

Luxury buses

In addition, the RTA has signed an agreement with A-Futtaim Auto and Machinery Company (Famco) to purchase 55 deuxe Vovo buses with top-of-the-range uxury standards equa to the Business Cass in aircraft at a cost of Dh128 miion.

These buses wi have faciities ike the Internet connection, food faciities, toiet and en-route catering service request etc.

Their design has been taiored to suit peope with specia needs and offer superior eves of uxury and quaity.

'The buses wi have ampe space between seats, which wi be fitted with muti audio-visua entertainment channes and Internet access,' the officia said.

Big bus order

The RTA is a set to award the contract of the word's one of the biggest bus purchase orders for 1,616 different types of buses designed at the highest safety and security standards.

State-of-the-art technoogica features fitted to these buses incude voice announcement of the next stop, commuter statistica system, goba positioning system inked to the RTA contro room and interna and externa dispay monitors. Once these buses arrive, the number of buses woud increase to 2,500 buses by 2009.

joy@khaeejtimes.com

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