Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has added four new communities to its Bus-On-Demand network, bringing the total number of service areas to 17 as the flexible transit option continues to outpace projections.
Al Qusais, Jumeirah Village Circle, Al Warqa’a, and Dubai Investments Park are the latest additions to a fleet of 49 minibuses that now blankets a significantly wider stretch of the emirate.
The expansion follows a dramatic uptick in usage. Ridership on the service climbed to 984,929 trips in 2025 — a 136 percent increase over the 417,315 recorded the year prior, representing a gain of more than 567,000 journeys within a single year.
The service operates through a dedicated app, through which passengers book shared rides between dynamically assigned pickup and drop-off points. There are no fixed stops; routes adjust in real time based on where demand is concentrated, a model the RTA says shortens wait times and raises overall efficiency.
At its core, the network is designed to solve the first- and last-mile problem — bridging the gap between residential areas and the metro stations, bus stops, and commercial hubs that anchor Dubai’s broader public transport system. Areas already covered under the service include Al Barsha, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Business Bay, Downtown Dubai, DIFC, Al Nahda, Al Karama, and Oud Metha, among others.
Fares are set at AED 5 per trip, with AED 4 charged for additional passengers on the same booking. During the current launch phase, promotional free rides are being offered to drive adoption in the newly added communities.
The RTA has indicated that further geographic expansion is planned for the next phase, with adjustments to the operating model expected as the authority works to balance service quality against the demands of a growing user base.
