The Dubai Municipality is experimenting with 'articulated' bus service on its public transport network, said the Khaleej Times Saturday.
The trial of the new articulated buses service, each accommodate double capacity of the ordinary ones, will continue for a six-month period and will be conducted on all routes of the emirate, said Abdulaziz Malik, the director of public transport at the municipality.
They will have three pneumatic doors, seats for 104 people and room for standing.
Abdulaziz was quoted by the Dubai-based paper as saying that "we are doing trials of the 'articulated' bus service in the emirate and if it is found viable and cost-effective, a decision to make it a permanent fixture will be taken by the higher authorities."
He said the Volvo 'articulated' bus was given by its local distributor for the trial. The official said the bus service would be used on busy routes, like 5, 12, 21, 13 and 6.
But some officials said, “It is not easy to drive such a bus in Dubai city limits given the narrow streets, U-turns and small lay-by spaces.”
The special bus has one door for embarking and two doors for disembarking. There is a camera fitted on the doors of the bus to help the driver monitor the movements of passengers.
A group of drivers are being trained on operating an articulated bus, which is 18 meters long, about six meters more than a bus of normal size – Albawaba.com
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