(Pakistan Point News - 05th May, 2021) ABU DHABI, 5th May 2021 (WAM) - The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) of the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) announced that it will launch its on-demand bus service on Yas Island on Thursday, May 13, 2021. The service can be requested using the "Abu Dhabi Link" application, which can be downloaded from Apple Store and Google Play Store.
The ITC stated that the service will be free of charge in its preliminary phase and will be in service daily on Yas Island from 06:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
This service offers visitors and residents of Yas Island the opportunity to move around the various service facilities, malls and entertainment venues on the Island, in a smart and convenient way. These include hotels, Ferrari World, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Mall, Yas Waterworld and other recreation facilities, in addition to the various residential areas and the neighboring areas of Al Zeina, Al Muneera and Al-Bandar.
This service is regarded as the outcome of the concerted collaboration between ITC and Miral, following a study conducted by the two parties on the development of the transportation sector in Yas Island. This was part of an agreement previously signed by the two parties to develop the infrastructure for public transport on Yas Island and to determine the best ways to improve the quality of transportation services that are available to residents and visitors of the Island. This stems from both parties’ keenness to establish efficient partnerships that contribute to better serve the residents and visitors on Yas Island, and making public transportation accessible to everyone. This will reinforce ITC’s efforts in establishing a sustainable public transport system as well as Miral’s vision to position Yas Island as a top global destination for entertainment, recreation and business.
The concept behind Abu Dhabi Link relies on providing a bus, based on requests placed via a smart phone application by community members, to commute within the same area or transfer them from their locations to the nearest station, public transport service, or any other destination within the area in which the bus operates. This represents one of the means of transportation established based on the "the first and last mile" principle that operates minibuses to work on-demand using a smart app, within specific areas in the Emirate. It also encourages people visiting and residing in these areas to use public transportation services in their domestic transportation, and reduces walking-distance as well as waiting-time through transporting passengers in mini-buses upon request.
The service can be requested quickly and easily through the ‘Abu Dhabi Link’ application, where customers can download the application from Apple Store and Google Play on smart phones and smart devices, then identify the pick-up and drop-off location with a suitable pick-up time. The application will then present when and where to meet the driver, with details about the bus including its type and plate number. The user will also be able to access real-time tracking on the application.
The ‘Abu Dhabi Link’ Bus On-Demand service starts in Yas Island after achieving great success and positive responses by public transportation users since its launch on October 25, 2020 in Al Shahama. ITC announced that the total number of passenger trips since the launch of the service so far has mounted up to 84,000 trips, whereas the number of individuals who downloaded the "Abu Dhabi Link" application has reached more than 17,000 users.
Furthermore, ITC reiterated that the ‘Abu Dhabi Link’ Bus On-Demand service reinforces the integration of the public bus transport network and supports its efforts in expanding its services, diversifying transportation options available for members of the community, and bringing public bus services closer to their homes and workplaces. The new service is expected to witness a tremendous turnout from residents and visitors of Yas Island, as it enables them to commute to their destinations quickly, comfortably, and safely.
In light of the precautionary and preventive measures implemented to ensure the health and safety of users, ITC emphasized that the ‘Abu Dhabi Link’ Bus On-Demand service, like other public transport services, are subject to periodic and intensive processes of sterilization in the evening after the completion of their daily services in order to maintain the health and safety of users.
