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29 March 2024

Sharjah at 'crossroads' of seven emirates

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

Sharjah may not exactly lie at the centre of the country, but it is possibly one of the most connected emirates of the UAE. With its close proximity to most of the surrounding emirates, intercity travel from Sharjah is an option many travellers like to take.

From Sharjah, the Road and Transport Authority (previously the Sharjah Transport Corporation) operates bus routes to all six emirates, totalling 12 bus routes. In 2013, more than five million passengers made use of these bus routes, announced the RTA.

A total of 5 million and 5,000 passengers were recorded travelling between Sharjah and other emirates, a 4 per cent increase compared to 2012, said Rashid Mahboub, Director of Transportation, RTA Sharjah.

The most consumed bus route was the Sharjah – Qusais – Rashidiya route, accounting for 21,990 passengers in 2013. The popular Dubai-Sharjah commute rose with 8 per cent compared to the previous year, said Mahboub.

In total, five bus routes run between Sharjah and Dubai, while two routes connect to Abu Dhabi, two routes to Ajman and one route each to Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Since August last year, the RTA has been aiming to upgrade the level of intercity bus travel through a developmental programme. Last week, the introduction of Wifi in all intercity bus routes was announced to facilitate passengers on the sometimes long commutes.

Mahboub pointed out that the body strives to develop and improve mass transit in line with the development and prosperity witnessed by the emirate of Sharjah , especially after winning the title of Capital of Islamic Culture for 2014, which will be accompanied by many activities and events spread throughout the year. These activities require good infrastructure in the field of transport and roads, he added.