A new Abu Dhabi to Dubai bus service is about more than getting from A to B

At first glance, the arrival of a new bus route might seem a somewhat unremarkable development. However, in a society that is changing as rapidly as the UAE’s, the opening of another low-cost daily link between the capital and Dubai is an indicator of the direction in which the country is heading.

The Dh25 ($6.80) service is already up and running four times a day in each direction between Al Quoz in Dubai and Mohamed bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi. The new route will “facilitate daily commuting between the two emirates, reduce highway congestion and support the UAE’s vision of expanding its intercity public transport network”, according to Raed Zaidan, regional manager of Capital Express for Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

So far, so good. But a closer look at the UAE’s evolving public transport options highlights a national strategy that is about much more than simply getting people from A to B. Bus CX01 joins a collection of trains, trams and buses that look set to build new communities and better connect existing ones. From the Dubai Metro Blue Line extension, Abu Dhabi’s planned light railway system, more intercity buses and the anticipated opening of Etihad Rail’s passenger services next year, a growing, urbanising Emirates is changing.

From a country developed largely with private vehicle ownership in mind, the UAE is increasingly becoming a place where public transport hubs encourage new businesses, schools and other amenities in burgeoning residential communities. One of the stops on the new bus route – Al Quoz – is already a mix of the industrial, residential and cultural, home as it is to Dubai’s long-established arts community.

All this is part of what some experts have called “urban acupuncture” – targeted planning strategies that stimulate broader social, economic and environmental changes through interventions such as setting new public transport links.

Some of this thinking was laid out in the UAE in February last year. A two-year collaboration between researchers at the London School of Economics and Abu Dhabi University found that although the capital had done much to improve provision for cyclists and pedestrians, further changes could help to better connect the city’s residential districts. Public transport hubs were an important part of such an approach, the report’s authors concluded.

Bus routes are a particularly useful instrument in any urban planner’s toolbox. Rail’s strengths are in its ability to carry large numbers of people and sidestep road congestion, but rail routes and stations are largely fixed. Public buses can also carry many people but bus routes can be expanded or redirected for maximum efficiency, allowing municipal authorities to better serve new communities.

Overall, a diverse public transport system leads to more evenly developed and sustainable cities. For every new luxury development, a corresponding, mixed-income community can be built up – especially if regular, reliable and affordable transport is developed. The car is still very much a part of daily life in the UAE but even having the option of leaving it at home one or two days week will make a difference, not only to the country’s roads but to its growing communities, too.