RTA plans better transport links between Dubai and Sharjah

Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA) is said to be planning new water buses that will link the city with the neighbouring emirate of Sharjah.Speaking to the Khaleej Times, chief executive officer of Public Transport Agency at the RTA Dr Yousif Mohammed Al Ali said some feasibility studies are being carried out.Although Sharjah is less than 20 km away from Dubai, the main road that links the two cities can become quite congested and journey times rise significantly during peak periods.Both emirates are based on the coast, so it should be easy enough to put on boat services between the destinations, which will help to relieve some of the strain on the road network.The need for new modes of public transport has become more pressing, as experts believe that Dubai's population will continue to grow sharply in the coming years.”Currently, there are inter-city buses connecting Dubai and Sharjah and we see no reason why there would be no possibility of developing marine transport on similar lines,” Mr Al Ali was quoted as saying.”It is part of the RTA masterplan to improve the public transport network and develop the different modes of transportation. However, it would be too early to announce a date when any new routes would take effect,” he continued.The UAE's transport infrastructure has coped remarkably well with the huge number of people moving to Dubai and other parts of the country in recent years.Airports in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras al Khaimah have all been very busy and air links between different emirates have improved considerably.In Dubai itself, there have been talks of a major expansion of the already-impressive Metro network, which connects numerous important business districts and other popular points of interest with residential areas.The RTA is very ambitious and its future plans will undoubtedly make the emirate even more attractive to investors and people who are considering relocating to the Middle East on a permanent basis. Taylor Scott International