Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) has concluded its entire expanded operational plan for providing the intercity transport buses, in preparation for transporting passengers on daily trips all through Eid Al-Adha holiday. The plan comprises increasing the number of daily trips during the Eid by 5,724 trips over 6 days, starting from the 27th of June until the 2nd of July .

H.E. Eng. Yousef Khamis Muhammad Al Alathmani the Chairman of the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority, indicated that the teams assigned with organizing the operations of intercity transport buses in the Authority, are fully prepared and ready, after developing a comprehensive study on the status of transport throughout the Eid Al-Adha holiday, and initiating anticipatory and proactive plans to accommodate and keep pace with the incoming numbers of passengers arriving all through the holiday, by devising fundamental solutions to decrease congestion on stations and transport points in the Emirate, to improve and promote its operational capacity, and accommodating the anticipated numbers, in view of the convergence of the Eid Al-Adha holiday and the summer holiday for schools in the state.

He pointed out that the daily operation of intercity transport lines throughout the Eid period shall commence from 3:45 am. until 2:00 am. midnight.

A Total of 720 Buses
In order to meet the requirements of the incoming passengers all through the Eid Al-Adha holiday, the Authority has enhanced its level of readiness by increasing the capacity of passenger numbers in all the operational lines, to ensure providing the uppermost and utmost smoothness and flexibility in transportation operations, as well as decreasing congestion and waiting times, as it offered 720 buses for intercity transportation over 6 days, with 120 buses operating on daily basis, the thing which shall attain and realize transportation services with outstanding productivity and premier quality.

He affirmed that the Authority is working tirelessly and diligently in order to improve its capacities and competencies at the transport and communications level by initiating and devising progression plans, schemes and strategies to be applied within the scheduled timetables, intended for effecting paradigm shift in operational procedures as well as ensuring customer contentment with the level of service offered to them.

10 Minutes of Bus Frequency
The Chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority clarified that the Bus frequency for the Authority bus trips is experiencing time variations all through the operational periods within the year, nonetheless, the Authority has spared no effort to decrease that period and reaching the time of 10 minutes only between one trip and the other at peak hours during Eid Al-Adha, compared to 45 minutes of bus frequency all days of the year.

Additionally, this reduction is carried out at the level of 12 operational lines overseen by the Authority, hence, the maximum rates of passenger transportation between cities in the Emirate shall be attained, which the concerned teams at the Authority are anticipating achieving, in response to the requirements of users of means of transportation, and to detecting methods to provide smooth and effortless trips corresponding to the various needs of the transport services users during the public holidays.

Additional Services
Mr. Abdul Aziz Mohammed Al Jarwan, the Director of the Authority for Transport Affairs, explained that numerous services are offered in line with the requirements of the public of customers, ensuring the seamless operations all through the holiday, which shall be realized by increasing the number of employees on duty at the stations, i.e. supervisors and security guards to nearly 60 employees daily, with the objective of organizing the smooth movement of passengers to and from Al Jubail station and the other stations, and maintaining the Bus compliance with trips schedules ensuring the constancy of the operational procedures, and attaining the maximum standards of safety and prevention to preserve the safety of all.

He also indicated that the Authority is continuously seeking to find alternatives and solutions in order to meet the projected challenges in terms of the increasing passenger numbers at the stations throughout the holidays period, thus, it applied groundbreaking concepts of adding new ticket outlets within the station, as an addition to the main points of sale inside the buses, with the objective of reducing the ticket booking time as well as eliminating congestions and crowding within the station, the thing which shall ensure that trips are not delayed behind the scheduled time.

Furthermore, Mr. Al Jarwan stressed on the Authority commitment to meet the requirements of the Station users as from the moment of arrival at the station or before via the call center, and being fully prepared, geared up and primed to attend calls and interacting with the public to offer clear information on trip schedules, ticket prices, and handle any complaints, and all inquiries 24 hours a day.