3-month trial run for bus on demand in Dubai Media City

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Mini buses such as these will operate on the Bus On Demand routes. - Supplied photo

Dubai - Al Barsha and Al Warqaa are the other two selected communities for the trial run of the service.

By Staff Reporter

Published: Sun 15 Apr 2018, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Sun 15 Apr 2018, 8:52 AM

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has included Media City in the trial operation of 'Bus on Demand' service. The service, which is part of the RTA's initiatives under Dubai Future Accelerators, begins today and will be free of charge for three months.
Al Barsha and Al Warqaa are the other two selected communities for the trial run of the service.
Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of the RTA's Public Transport Agency, said: "The RTA has opted to broaden the scope of the service under the current trial phase starting from Sunday to assess the response of the public in Dubai Media City, which has several vital hotspots such as Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station, American University of Dubai, Dubai Commercial Bank, and Aurora Tower. They also include Reuters Agency, CNN Station, Arabia & MBC Channels, Samsung, SAP, ITP Media, Concord Towers, Jumeirah Palm Tram Station, Tecom Business Parks, Master Card, IBM, Oracle, Google, Microsoft, and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank."The service will be offered through the smart app (MVMANT) available on Google Play and Apple Stores on smartphones and devices.

How the app helps commuters

Bahrozyan added: "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 journey between the homes of riders and the nearest public transport station."
During the free trial operation of the service in the three communities, Al Barsha, Al Warqaa and Media City - a survey will be conducted at the metro stations for residents and employees to know their needs and views about the service before moving to the full operational phase. The app will allow the passengers to book seats and track the movement of buses around their neighbourhood that serve as the connectivity to the nearest public transport stations.
The 18-seater buses operate on flexible routes and schedules, and bus drivers can communicate with service requesters and bring them to the nearest point of their destinations. The RTA has adopted the latest international practices of countries such as Spain, Germany, the US and Finland.