Getting around Dubai is made easy by virtue of Dubai’s advanced public transportation system. This includes buses, taxis, water buses, trams, and its metro. While Dubai has this variety of means of transportation, we’ll focus on Dubai’s bus transportation service in this article.

Dubai’s bus transportation service covers and serves well over 85% of the urban area of the Emirate of Dubai. This service is provided by The Public Transport Agency, according to Roads & Transport Authority (RTA).

They boast a huge fleet of buses — about 1,518 — including the Double-decker, Standard buses, Articulated buses, and Metro links. The buses run on about 158 routes, including Express bus routes (10 lines), feeder bus routes (50 lines), a night bus route (1 line), Intercity bus routes (17 lines), local bus routes (62 lines), CBD bus routes (13 lines) and seasonal bus routes (5 lines).

All buses are air-conditioned, have provisions for people with disabilities such as space for wheelchairs and contrasting tactile guidance path for the visually impaired; multiple screens hosting bus stops information and general notifications, dedicated section for women, children and families, and audible beeps with corresponding flashing light signals when doors open and close.

To use the bus service, you need a Nol card through which you can pay for your fare. Further, the Nol card covers for all public transportation. Like your credit card, your Nol card can be topped up. Top up machines can be found on main bus stops, Dubai Metro Stations and RTA outlets.

There’re a great deal of bus stops where passengers wait for the public buses. Of these stops, the main ones are well equipped boasting cafeteria and vending machines, parking spot for taxis and cycle stands for bicycles, NOL card top up machines.

Dubai Bus Stations

Dubai Buses have specific routes they cover. They don’t just drive around the city as the taxis might. To know where to get a bus that will be heading in your direction, kindly see Dubai Bus Routes.

Dubai Bus Transportation Service Timings

Dubai’s bus transportation service operates within these time range according to bus stops:

1. Main Stations (Gold Souk, Al Ghubaibah): 5:00 am – 12:00 Midnight
2. Sub Stations (Al Satwa, Al Qusais, Al Quoz Industrial, Jebel Ali): 5:00 AM – 11:00 PM
3. Metro Feeder Bus Stations (Al Rashidiya, Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta, Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa, Abu Hail, Etisalat): 5:15 am – 1:10 am (The next day)

How Much Is The Bus Transportation Service?

You’re charged based on the number of zones you travel. And Dubai has seven zones. Below is a table of exactly how you’re charged.

Your journey can be made using different modes of transport which are located in different zones. This process is referred to as “transfer”. You can make transfers across the Bus and the Metro. Below is a table of the rules of transfers.

Transfer Rules

Note: These Transfer Rules apply to one-way journeys only. So, if you check out from a station and then check in at the same station, this will be considered a new journey (not a transfer).

Checking Out

You’re required to check out at the end of your trip in order that you’re not overcharged. This allows the Nol card to calculate your fare. You should check out because if you don’t, your Nol card will deduct the maximum fare.

How to check out

• At the exit gates of the bus, place your Nol card on the card reader
• Wait to hear a beep or look for the green light which signals a successful check-out
• Pass through the exit gate. The gate will automatically calculate the cost of your trip based on the zones you traveled through and the remaining balance of your card. To see these zones on a map, see image below or Dubai Zone Fares.

Rules

If you want to get conveyed by one of the buses, at any of the bus stops, signal the bus to stop but see that you’re not on the bus stopping area. Further, do not go near the bus doors until the driver opens them for you to board. You get aboard through the front door and off board through the back one. Ladies and children may alight through the front door. If you wish to alight at an authorized bus stop, press the stop bells. Before alighting, see that the bus has come to a complete stop.

It is unacceptable to engage the driver in a conversation or an argument. Do not annoy the driver or anyone aboard by means of some musical device or instrument, any at all. It is unacceptable to beg or solicit favor aboard. Bulky baggage, or obnoxious property, say an animal, are not allowed in the bus. And you’re not allowed to place your baggage in the gangway.

Please see that you enter into the bus with your valid card, for if you fail to do this, you’d be fined AED 200. And if you perchance use a fake Nol card, you’d be slapped with AED500 fine. Comply with every instruction you’re given by the authority in the bus. Note that there’re areas you’d be restricted from entering. If you violate the instructions given to you, you’d be hit with a fine.

Selling in the bus is prohibited. And you mustn’t lay your foot or feet on the seats as this attracts some fine. Damaging, vandalizing or destroying equipment on public transports, public transport facilities and services courts the fine of AED 1000

Address:
Roads & Transport Authority
P. O. Box: 118899
Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Contact:
Phone: 800 90 90
Phone (overseas): +971 4 605 1414
Tel: +971 4 284 4444
Fax: +971 4 206 5555
E-mail: [email protected]
Official website: RTA.ae

Downloads
Download Dubai’s Fare Zones now
Download Dubai’s Transport Network now

Reference: RTA.ae