Commuters to get used to Abu Dhabi’s park & ride system

Though motorists and commuters in Abu Dhabi are still facing formidable challenges on the way to and fro, Department of Transport has launched a new initiative in its scheme that would solve traffic problems to some extent.  The initiative is called park-and-ride, in which the section of Zayed Sports City’s car park set on the shoulder of the main roads for commuters The park-and-ride scheme gives commuters the green light to leave their vehicles and take special shuttle buses to all parts of Abu Dhabi Island.  In this process, a commuter should pick up a bus ticket – and one for up to three passengers – when parking in the secured area. Commenting on that, a staff member at the ticket booth said that apart from the ticket to book, commuters should also issue a separate ticket for the driver to display on the dashboard.  “It’s good for people who are coming from Al Ain, Dubai or Sharjah and don’t know the city very well. This service can help them avoid getting into traffic accidents,” he added.  About this project, an official source declared: “It’s meant for motorists who are coming into the city, they can park here instead of struggling for spaces in the city. It will relieve congestion in the city where there is a high demand for parking spaces.”  Regarding that, the same source said that there are 600 parking spaces known by the Mawaqif black and turquoise kerbs.   “Parking for the time being is free. We cannot put a date on that,” the source added.   The buses, which have free Wi-Fi, will run from 6am to 8.30pm, Sunday to Thursday.   Among the main purposes of this project, the initiative also tends to cut down the amount of pollution and environmental damage made by vehicles on the capital’s roads. Another official source said it would need a change of people’s mentality to think beyond their personal cars and embrace public transport. “Mobility management is important in any development of a city. We need to inform the public about the services and efforts of the Government to build an efficient and sustainable transport,” he said.   About the project in practice:  *Bus routes from Zayed Sports City take in Al Safarat roundabout, Dhafeer Street, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street, Delma Street and Hamdan Street through the Corniche. *The shuttle buses will leave every 15 minutes during peak hours, and every 30 minutes at other times. *The stops in the city include the Abu Dhabi Municipality, City Air Terminal, Abu Dhabi Mall, Al Ain Tower, the Abu Dhabi Education Council, the Central Souq and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, before returning to Zayed Sports City.  For more information about Abu Dhabi Car Purchase, please visit:  http://uae.sellanycar.com/Abu%20Dhabi/Car-Purchase.html