Eid: special buses and free parking

108 special buses to tour 23 routes, while car parking’s free from October 25 to 28

Dubai: Special express shuttle services will be introduced at various locations across Dubai during the Eid holidays, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced.

The service is part of RTA’s arrangements to offer greater convenience to commuters during the Eid rush, which includes around the clock Metro and bus operations, extra taxis and buses as well as additional parking arrangements around malls and parks.

“We are looking to provide as much convenience to people as possible. We want to make sure every person in Dubai has a choice of his transport around the clock at all locations,” Eisa Abu Rahman Al Dossary, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency.

A total of 108 special buses on 23 routes will serve shoppers and visitors for Eid celebrations, which includes an express shuttle from Al Ghubaiba and Etisalat metro station to Global Village.

The service will operate between 1pm and 1am from Thursday to Sunday.

Express shuttle services will also operate around all hot spots, including Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Zaabeel Park, Al Seef and Creek Park.

Al Dossary said that the RTA planned its services in a balanced way so as to cater to all segments of the society and across different areas of Dubai, though their primary focus is areas around malls and parks, which are likely to be congested.

RTA has also announced free parking for motorists across the city from Thursday October 25 to Sunday October 28.

Parking fees will be applicable from Monday, October 29.

However, paid parking systems will continue to be applicable during the Eid Holidays at Deira Fish Market and all the RTA’s multi-storey parking buildings.

All the RTA’s service centres, vehicle testing and registration stations and other offices will remain closed during the Eid holidays, the centres will resume work on Monday October 29.

However, the RTA affiliated driving centres are following different holidays.

Emirates Driving Institute, Belhasa Driving Centre, and Drive Dubai, will be off from the first Eid day and resume service on Monday October 29. Al Ahli Centre will be off during the first Eid day only and resume duty on Saturday 27 October. Galadari Centre will be off on the first and second days of Eid and is set to resume duty on the third day.

All the RTA’s transport services will be operational with extended timings during the Eid holidays. The Metro will remain open until 4am ,while many buses will run for 24 hours.

All public bus stations will operate from 6am and continue up to midnight throughout the holidays. The Metro Feeder Bus Stations, such as Rashidiya, Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta, Abu Hail, Etisalat, and Burj Khalifa Stations, will be following Metro timings.

The inter-city service operates for 24 hours from Al Ghubaiba and Gold Souq, while subsidiary stations such as Sabkha, Union Square, Deira City Centre and Karama will be operating from 6am to midnight.

The working hours of marine transit systems during Eid holidays will be as follows: Water Bus from 7am to 10pm, Ferry Dubai from 9am to 7pm, and the Water Taxi from 10am to 3am, starting from Thursday and during the first and second Eid days only.

Gulf News