Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a Dh1.1 billion contract for 636 new buses, set for delivery in 2024 and 2025. The buses, compliant with European standards and designed for low carbon emissions, will include 40 electric buses, marking a significant milestone as the largest fleet of its kind in the UAE.
RTA Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, Mattar Al Tayer, highlighted that the new buses will support RTA’s goal of increasing public transport usage to 25% by 2030, making it the preferred mode of mobility in Dubai.
Most of the new buses will feature a Driver Behaviour Monitoring System (Raqeeb) to enhance driver conduct and safety. Additionally, an Automated Passenger Counting (APC) system will track passenger numbers to prevent fare evasion, while a Driver Identity Authentication system will link driver authentication to the operating system.
The buses align with RTA’s Public Transport Zero Emissions in Dubai 2050 Strategy, aiming for 100% conversion of public transport buses to electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2050.
The contract includes the purchase of 40 electric buses from Zhongtong, 450 city service buses—400 from MAN (a Volkswagen subsidiary) and 50 from Zhongtong—76 double-decker buses from Volvo, and 70 articulated buses from Isuzu Anadolu. These buses will enhance coverage in high-density urban areas and new districts, with features like low floors for easy access, bike racks, special seating for children, Wi-Fi, and mobile phone charging points.
Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of the Public Transport Agency, added that RTA is developing a UAE Fuel Consumption Protocol to compare fuel consumption across different bus types.
This deal follows the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and is supervised by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, reinforcing Dubai’s commitment to sustainable and efficient public transportation.