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19 April 2024

Sharjah-Dubai bus fare hike from today

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

The fee for a single bus trip between Sharjah and Dubai will increase starting May 1, Emirates 24|7 has learnt.

Instead of a Dh7 charge, the trip will now cost Dh10.

The price increase was confirmed by several officials from Road and Traffic Authorities (RTAs) of both emirates on the sidelines of the UITP MENA Congress, being held in the World Trade Center in Dubai this week.

Other intercity bus routes running from Sharjah will charge the current tickets rates, confirmed Rashid Mahboub, Director of Transportation of the RTA, Sharjah.

It is not clear whether the price change will be extended to other intercity bus routes running from Dubai.

The Dubai-Sharjah bus route is by far the most popular intercity bus route, with the busiest route being the Sharjah–Qusais–Rashidiya route, accounting for 21,990 passengers in 2013.

In total, five bus routes run between Sharjah and Dubai, departing from Deira, Bur Dubai, Jebel Ali, Rashidiya and Qusais.

Recently several initiatives were introduced by both authorities with the aim to improve travel between the emirates.

Three new bus stops will be located along Al Ittihad Road for the bus en route to Dubai.

The intercity bus departing from Al Rulla currently stops at two locations in Sharjah, Al Jubail Bus Station and National Paints, to arrive in Al Ghusais in Dubai every 18 minutes during the day.

Free WiFi has been introduced to all intercity bus routes from Dubai and Sharjah, after successful implementation of the service in the Dubai-Sharjah route.

Furthermore, efforts have been made to transition to a smart card payment system of intercity bus travel with the gradual disappearance of the paper ticket.

On all bus routes departing from Dubai the Nol card is now the sole payment method.

Bus travel to Dubai still holds the possibility of cash payment, although Nol cards have been made available at the departure points in other emirates.

Intercity bus travel plays an important role in the public transportation network of the emirates.

From Sharjah alone, 20,000 passengers daily embark on buses to travel to the other emirates, amounting to 5 million passengers overall in 2013.

The intercity bus network totals 14 routes to all emirates.

From Dubai, intercity buses travel between Dubai and Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah and Hatta, from the stations Ghubaiba, Union, Satwa, Sabkha, Karama, Deira City Center, Ibn Battuta, and Abu Hail.