(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Even as Mowasalat has announced plans to expand the public bus service, a senior official said yesterday the number of passengers has dropped due to heavy traffic congestion across the city.
The company operates 163 buses, including the recently launched West Bay shuttle service, with about 30,000 people using them daily.
Mowasalat is preparing to add 29 buses by June 1, it was disclosed yesterday.
However, its efforts to promote public transport is facing challenges from massive construction works all over the city and the worsening traffic jams.
"We have seen a drop in the number of bus passengers. This is because of heavy traffic congestions in the city. People will opt for other modes of transport if buses take more time to reach their destinations," Nasser Al Khanji, Executive Director, Support Services, Mowasalat, told a press conference.
"A permanent solution to the problem is to create lanes for buses,' he told this daily later.
Despite the drop in passenger turnout, the company is going ahead with expansion plans to ensure easy availability of buses on all routes at comfortable frequency.
"To increase passenger turnout, we have to increase the number of buses and routes. There is no other way," said Naheed Akhtar, Senior Project Manager.
A statement issued by the company, however, said it has found alternative fast routes to address challenges facing drivers due to road works.
Journey times on existing routes have been revised taking into consideration the traffic situation.
The company recently added four new routs - 301, 302, 303 and 304. The frequency on some routes has been increased to reduce waiting time. Buses running at one-hour frequency will operated at 45-minute frequency and those at 45-minute frequency will run at 30-minute frequency. Changes take effect on June 1.
The company plans to add 150 buses to its active fleet of 3,041, which include school buses.
Mowasalat serves 227 Independent schools and operates 1,851 buses for Supreme Education Council (SEC) on a daily basis. A total of 780 buses will be added for the new academic year that begins in September.
SEC has installed tracking devices in 105 buses to monitor and record movement to ensure children's safety. Other buses will follow. The company is working to reduce the size of school buses to ease traffic congestion. Some 300 new 26-seat buses were allocated to schools in the last academic year.
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