A Joy Ride from Sharjah to DubaiDUBAI - It was around 9.45am when I reached the Al Jubail Bus Station in Sharjah after more than an hour’s taxi ride from Al Nahda last Thursday.
Travellers enjoy the ride from the upper deck of the bus.—KTphotoThe traffic volume seems to double on Thursdays in Sharjah, making it a nightmare for motorists. Last Thursday was, however, special to me and I had decided to remain upbeat despite the snail’s pace of traffic flow. The reason for my excitement: I was about to check out the new, swanky doubledecker bus, the service of which was launched between Dubai and Sharjah by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) a fortnight ago.
I had heard passengers talking about the smooth and fast ride on these posh buses. But nothing seemed to go my way that day. Even after an hour’s wait at the bus station, not a single double decker bus drove in. It was almost 11am and I was both desperate and angry, sweating profusely in the hot and humid conditions.
“At present, only three double-decker buses are plying on the route. And Thursdays witness heavy traffic, especially until 12 noon. The bus would arrive anytime now,” consoled an RTA official when I enquired about the delay.
As I shook my head in disgust, I saw a bus rolling in. The look of the bright red- coloured bus lifted my spirit and I ran towards it. After five minutes, the driver opened the door. I was the first person to enter the bus!
The bus had 81 seats with a seating capacity for 114 passengers. I remembered the RTA officials mentioning earlier that 70 similar buses would be transporting people on the route soon.
A fare of Dh5 was okay with me. I climbed to the upper deck and sat in a seat right in the front. The front seat was a bit crammed with less leg space.
The passenger sitting next to me was as excited as me. “Normally, it takes almost two hours for a bus to reach the Al Gubaiba Bus Station in Bur Dubai from Al Jubail. I have heard that these double-deckers take lesser time. Today, I decided to give check out on it,” he said.
The other passengers were also quite thrilled. “I have seen these buses on Discovery Channel. Soon, Dubai will start cars that move in the air, I am sure,” I overheard another passenger telling his friend. The bus started around 11.15am. All the seats were full.
I felt strange sitting in the front seat of the upper deck. Though I had been on a double-decker in my hometown in India, this experience was different. I felt like I was in a giant wheel which was slowly gaining momentum. One good thing about the bus was the airconditioning, which was better than in most of the RTA buses.
The pedestrians looked towards us with amusement as the bus moved on; some smiled, others waved to us. From the upper deck, one could not see the driver. I felt that the bus would dash against a pavement or another vehicle, particularly during the many turns. 11.40am.
The bus was stuck in a traffic jam near Al Taawun Mall in Sharjah. Drivers of other vehicles, including buses, gave way to our towering bus almost automatically as if out of respect or fear. The bus entered the main traffic hub on Ittihaad Road by 11.50am. By now, I was a bit impatient and thought a taxi ride would have been a better option.
Being in the front seat, the hot sun rays made me squirm in my seat. My legs had started paining and I really wanted to stretch them but there was hardly any space. Ittihaad Road was crammed with vehicles and the bus made way ever so slowly.
The view from the top was cool, though. I could see the ongoing construction near Al Mulla Plaza which is all set to get completed by the end of this year. Unlike in a car, I could see the whole stretch of the packed Ittihaad Road from the upper deck.
By 12.10pm, we ultimately entered Dubai. The bus started to make a few stops as we entered the Shindaga Tunnel road towards Bur Dubai. By now, most of the passengers were dozing off. I too wanted to take a nap.
A passenger, who identified himself as Raju hailing from Nepal, said, “The ride is nice. I feel like a tourist travelling on those Big Bus Company buses.
With the tinted window glasses, we are comfortable. The air-conditioning system is also better.” 12.23pm. I could see work going on at the ‘Palm Deira’ project, one of the biggest projects being undertaken by Dubai at the moment. The bus entered the Shindaga Tunnel by 12.34pm.
The passengers were now awake and getting ready to alight. After some more signals, the double-decker finally entered the Al Gubaiba Bus Station at 12.43pm.
Though the ride took more than an hour-and-a-half, I was not very tired, though my legs were paining. I could easily say that my journey was good and I would recommend to others also to try it out at least once.
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