Department of transport rolls out 'Park and Ride' service in Abu Dhabi

As part of its commitment to providing world-class, integrated and sustainable transport services in line with the Surface Transport Master Plan (STMP), the Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi, announced today the rollout of "Park and Ride" at Abu Dhabi City. The service aims to relief the pressure of vehicles on main roads whilst allowing commuters an easy access to all areas inside Abu Dhabi Island. According to the DoT, Park and Ride has been designed with motorists coming from Abu Dhabi's suburbs and other emirates in mind, as they can park their vehicle for free in the available 600 parking bays at Zayed Sports City and commute free of charge for unlimited times on the same day to various areas in Abu Dhabi. A bus shuttle service is launched from Zayed Sports City every 15 minutes at peak times and every 30 minutes at normal hours of the day. The initially free service (for car parking at Zayed Sports City and commuting to and from the City) is available from 6:00AM until 8:30PM Sunday-Thursday. A Specially marked "Park and Ride" tickets are available for pickup at the booth on site at Zayed Sports City. The ticket, which will be free to commuters (driver and maximum three passenger) are valid for one full day (day of issue) and can be used for unlimited bus journeys inside Abu Dhabi Island. The aim of Park and Ride is to enable drivers to park their vehicles for free in a safe and secure environment whilst moving on the public transport network to continue their journey. It has many advantages such as reducing parking demands in downtown; reducing road congestion and the need to build more road capacity; minimizing environmental impacts through less private cars, reducing costs for motorists fuel and parking at destinations. In addition, "Park '&' Ride" will contribute to lowering operational costs for infrastructure and road maintenance, whilst encouraging motorists to move from private cars to walking, cycling and public transport. Eng. Badr Al Qamzi, Director of Integrated Transport Planning (ITP) in the Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi, said: "Park and Ride is one of the key strategic initiatives undertaken by the DoT in 2012 at Corniche area as a pilot project to enable a larger number of motorist to park their vehicle and continue their journey to other parts of the city for free with no need to worry about finding a parking space for their vehicle or arriving at a certain time, which sometimes consume a lot of time and efforts especially in congested areas downtown. The availability of Wifi (free internet) on board "Park '&' Ride" public transport buses ensures commuters an added vaules." "The Dot will study and survey public feedback following "Park and Ride" rollout at Zayed Sports City to engage motorists whilst considering all suggestions and ideas the public might offer. I would like to commend on the public's role in promoting the benefits of public transport and invite them to learn more about this new service at www.dot.abudhabi.ae/parkandride", he added.