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28 March 2024

Summer relief for Greens, Views residents: Free bus to Metro

Commuters are waiting for the shuttle bus at Street 7

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

Residents of and visitors to Dubai’s Greens and Views residential localities no longer have to endure the 15-minutes-walk in the simmering heat to reach the nearest Metro station.

Master developer Emaar has recently launched a free shuttle bus service for commuters to from the localities to the metros station and back. With the launch of the service, the popular communities are linked to Internet City Metro Station.

The shuttle bus

“Emaar has worked with its homeowners to offer this private bus service to our community residents and visitors. This is part of our commitment to enhance their welfare by introducing innovative and convenient amenities, while encouraging sustainable development,” said an Emaar Community Management (ECM) spokesperson.

The bus runs every 15 minutes from Internet City Metro Station landside, to stop at The Greens Village (the shopping centre) and at Street 7, opposite the Mosela community.

The shuttle bus

Anyone within the area is welcome to use the free-of-charge bus service, as it doesn’t require any document to embark.

“This shuttle bus is perfect for me. It stops right in front of my building and drops me off at the metro station, from where I can easily walk to my office in Tecom.

“I used to take a cab every morning. But this is no longer necessary. I walk my son to school, which is around the corner, and then I take the bus to work. It is such an improvement of my mornings!” said Kinana Homsi-Mardini, 27, from Syria.

When we approached him, Ilija Kaluderovic, 33, from Serbia, was waiting for the shuttle bus at Street 7, which he claims has become a morning ritual for him. “I have been taking the bus every morning since I came to know about it.

“I do have a car, but I like to leave it at home. I care about sustainability, and I think if you care, you should opt for initiatives like these. Now I can take the bus to travel to work by metro,” he said.

The same goes for Saad Sayed, 30, from India, who makes a daily commute from the Greens to his office in Dubai Healthcare City. “I have a car in the garage, but I prefer to use the metro. It is very convenient, especially in the morning when I feel very sleepy,” he said.

The hop-on-board hoard hoarding

The communities are both located in the vicinity of Internet City Metro Station, but the distance was, by many, considered inconvenient. Depending on the location of the destination, a walk could take up to 30 minutes. During the summer months, many people would opt for a cab ride, which charges around Dh10 for the trip.

The shuttle bus service runs from 7-10 in the morning, and from 5-7 in the evening. At both parts of the day, the shuttle bus sees a considerable number of users, says Pramod Moha, 26, the driver of the bus. “The most crowded times are around 8am and between 5-6pm, when I might see 15 passengers one round. On average, I pick up between 7-10 passengers per round.”

Aside from residents of the communities, the service also caters to the employees of offices in the area. Imran Sohel, 30, from India, who works in Business Park, cannot emphasise enough how happy he is with the shuttle. Living in Banyas, he travels by metro and used to make a walk of 15 minutes to his workplace twice a day.

“Especially in summer, this is very difficult. By the time I arrived at work I would be soaking wet. Now I can comfortably use the bus to get to work.”

“My office is near Street 7. I used to take a taxi from the metro station, which cost me Dh10 twice a day. Now I save this money thanks to the bus service,” says Filipina Shyna Ading, 28, who lives in Satwa.

Not all residents are served by the shuttle bus. “I need my car at work,” says Tariq Emara. My office is in Jumeira Lakes Towers, but during the day, I am required to move around. I do think it is a really good initiative, though.”

Agrees Mohab al Shamy, 29, from Egypt. “My work is in Abu Dhabi, so I do need my car to go to work. However, my girlfriend uses the shuttle bus every morning and some of my neighbours do too. People seem to be very happy with it.”