Al Ain // The UAE's "garden city" is to get its own bus service to match the rapid development and growth in population expected in coming years.
The Department of Transport is to launch four routes before Ramadan next month and another four before the end of the year, officials said yesterday.
Saeed al Hameli, general manager of the DoT's public bus services, said the buses would run between the outskirts and the town centre, linking key locations such as Tawam Hospital, Al Ain Airport, Hili Park and Bawadi Mall.
"We think we will achieve a very good response on launching the service since Al Ain's structure of design is from the centre of the city and our services are running to cover east and west and north of Al Ain and link the major landmarks," Mr al Hameli said.
The service will be increased to 17 routes with a total of 350 buses by 2011, he said.
"It will grow side-by-side with the development [of the city] and over the next few years we will be ahead of the development."
Fares will range from Dh1 to Dh10, depending on the length of trip, Mr al Hameli said, with trips between the suburbs and the town centre costing a maximum of Dh5 and costs rising for longer journeys, such as to the eastern edge of the city and to the town of Sweihan.
The buses, painted white and orange, are manufactured by Mercedes and have low floors and automatic doors to make them accessible for pushchairs or wheelchairs. Buses will arrive every 30 minutes during peak hours this year, with the frequency increasing to 15 minutes in 2010 and to 10 minutes in 2011.
The DoT has increased the frequency of buses between Al Ain and Abu Dhabi to one every 30 minutes by introducing 15 refurbished buses on the route last week, Mr al Hameli said. The wait between buses was more than two hours earlier.
In addition, three new long-distance routes will open next year, connecting Al Ain to Abu Dhabi International Airport, Dubai and Sharjah. Buses on these routes will have toilets, catering and entertainment.
"With all the new development in Al Ain city, this was to avoid future challenges for transport. It is also to connect Al Ain city with Abu Dhabi and provide the same level of service as Abu Dhabi," Mr al Hameli said.
People waiting for inter-city buses will no longer have to cope with the heat after the department yesterday opened a temporary air-conditioned bus station. The tent structure is open from 6am to 11pm and has seating for 114 people, including 24 seats in a women only waiting area. A permanent station is to be built at the same location. At present there are buses making regional trips to places including Sweihan and Abu Dhabi city, Mr al Hameli said.
Anand Chaudry, an employee at the Al Ain branch of HSBC who commutes from Buraimi in Oman, said he tried to commute by bus when he first moved to Al Ain about seven months ago, but had given up because "the service was really, really poor".
"If one bus is gone, you know it is another two hours. Sometimes the bus is cancelled and they do not tell you anything," he said.
Mr Chaudry, who is from Mumbai, relied on taxis until he bought a car about a month ago.
"Al Ain definitely needs a new bus service - more than Abu Dhabi, in fact, because places are very far off," he said. "People used to wait for hours sometimes for the bus because they did not have any other option because they could not afford taxis."
Mr al Hameli said a study had been conducted to estimate the demand for public buses but a further study would be required once the service started.
"We are working on the availability stage and further improvement will be taken based on service demand," he said.
The city bus service in Abu Dhabi became instantly popular when it was launched with four routes more than a year ago.
Taxi driver Mehmood Gul said he did not expect the new bus service would hurt business much.
"There is a difference between the kind of people that get taxis and the kind that are willing to wait for the bus," he said.
"It has a lot to do with time. Al Ain is very big so it's not possible for the buses to go everywhere. Taxis will offer door-to-door service."
Earlier this month, the Abu Dhabi taxi service operator TransAD announced plans to put another 1,400 taxis on Al Ain's roads by the end of the year.
Al Ain's population is expected to grow by 21 per cent over the next five years alone, according to the Urban Planning Council, which envisages a three-fold increase in residents by 2030, from 374,000 at present.
mchung@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 3-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 424hp
Torque: 580 Nm
Price: From Dh399,000
On sale: Now
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
