Chapter 19: Buses in the United Arab Emirates
(text by John Veerkamp and Christian Kraut)The United Arab Emirates consist of 7 emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Total land area is 83000 sq. km and the population is around 2.5 million. The UAE borders on the Arabian Gulf to the north, and to the Gulf of Oman to the east. Land borders exist with the Sultanate of Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Quatar. The dominant religion is Islam and the language is Arabic. However, as there is a large population of foreign laborers, other languages such as English and Hindi are also used. Oil reserves (Abu Dhabi) and industry and trade (Dubai) make that the major cities are very modern. The countryside consists of desert.
Bus services exist in various forms. Scheduled public bus services with large buses exist in and around Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Shared taxi services provide semi-scheduled services, also between the Emirates. A large number of buses is used for the transport of school children and workers, sometimes with buses owned by the school or company, but also as contractual work by bus companies. A large variety of buses exist, originating from Europe, Japan, South Korea, India, China, Egypt, the US and Brazil. Two companies, Belhasa and Doulosbus have started importing Chinese and Indian buses, apparently assembling them locally and selling them under their own brand names.
The town of Dubai, in Dubai Emirate, has a real urban bus service, operated by Dubai Municipal Public Transport. The company operates almost 300 buses on 36 bus routes. The modern fleet has a white and red livery. includes (information by Buses World Wide):
- Volvo B10M -Cacciamali (series 30-53, 1993, now withdrawn)
- DAF (SB220?) -Unicar, 1993 (series 54-69, 1993, now withdrawn)
- Volvo B10M -Marcopolo Torino (series 1-25, 1995-1996)
- Volvo B10M -Marcopolo Viaggio (semi-coach, series 26-29, 1995)
- Volvo B10M -Marcopolo Torino (series 91-119, 1998)
- Volvo B10M -Marcopolo Torino or Viale?? (series 120-144, 1999)
- Volvo B7R -Marcopolo Viale (series 155-184, 2000)
- Scania L94 ?-Ghabbour (series 185-214, 2000)
- Volvo B10M-A -Marcopolo Viale (articulated buses, on trial in 2001)
- Scania L94 -Marcopolo Viale (seen: 222…..315, 2002-2003)
- Mitsubishi Rosa )(midibuses, various series, a.o. 145-154, 1999)
Recently a tourist bus service has been started in Dubai, using 8 secondhand ex UK open top Leyland double deckers. They are operated by "The Big Bus". This company is based in the UK and operates open top tours in London. It now has expanded its services to Dubai, using the same hop-on-hop-of concept.
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the emirate with the same name. It is also a port city. Abu Dhabi Municipality Transport provides regional services around the city, including a route to Al Ain, and a few services that could be called urban. The modern fleet is green and white, but new white and light blue colours were introduced beginning of May 2003. The bus fleet is quite varied and includes makes from all over the world. Buses are to a 2-door layout, mostly with a rear door though some of the newest series have a centre door.
Buses seen in 2003 include:
- Ikarus 250.46
- Ikarus 250.48
- Ikarus 250.48C
- Nissan Diesel -Fuji
- IVECO AP160 -Cacciamali
- IVECO AP160 -Marcopolo Andare
- IVECO Eurorider 29 -Marcopolo Andare Class
- Mercedes Benz OH -MCV 400
- Scania K113 -Boronkay
- Scania -Irizar
- Scania -Irizar (slightly different models)
- Scania -Unicar 3000N
- Nissan Civillian (midibuses)
The Hungarian built Ikarus date from the beginning of the 1990's. The 250.46 has 1-leaf doors and a roof-mounted airconditioning, the 250.48 has two-leaf doors and also a roof-mounted airconditioning, while the 250.48C lacks the latter. The Japanese Nissan are somewhat older and probably date from the beginning of the 1990's. From the same period date the Scania with Spanish built Unicar 3000N body and the lone Scania K113 with a Turkish Boronkay body. The Italian built IVECO AP160 with Cacciamali body show small variations. One new Cacciamali was put into service in May 2003 in the new white and light blue livery. Recent vehicles also include the IVECO AP160 and the IVECO Eurorider 29 with Marcopolo Andare Class bodywork and the Scania -Irizar, which also exists in two variations, with minor differences. One IVECO Eurorider -Marcopolo was new in May 2003 and featured the new livery. A very interesting bus, of which only one was seen, is the Mercedes Benz OH with Egyptian built MCV 400 body. The few urban services are operated with the Nissan Civillian midibuses.
The other large town of Abu Dhabi Emirate, Al Ain, is also home to a bus company: Al Ain Municipality Transport. The company operates scheduled regional services, among others to Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Municipality Transport. The small but modern fleet is in a white and red livery. The models are largely similar to Abu Dhabi's, though the specifications are different. Buses have only one door, though a special door for the driver is always present. Types seen in 2003 include:
- Ikarus 250
- Nissan Diesel -Fuji
- IVECO AP160 -Cacciamali
- IVECO Eurorider 29 -Cacciamali
- Scania -Irizar
- Scania -Irizar (slightly different models)
The two Cacciamali models are quite different, the two Irizar models show slight differences. Both Abud Dhabi and Al Ain have very modern covered bus stations.
In Sharjah several older MAN with Yugoslavian built Avtomontaza bodywork were found, being offered for sale. They originated with Oman National Transport Company and still were in that company's livery and carried it's decalls. So, unless sold and operated locally they are not United Arab Emirates buses, as Oman is another country.
Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi Emirates have official taxi companies which also operate Japanese midibuses on long distance routes. They are used as shared taxis and provide unscheduled bus serices within and between the emirates. In Dubai the company is called Dubai Transport, in Abu Dhabi it is calles Al Ghazal. Both have new Mitsubishi Rosa and Toyota Coaster in beige or off-white colors.
A very concpicious bus company is Emirates Transport with a rather large fleet of orange or orange and white buses. Emirates Transport does not provide public services but scheduled contract services for schools and companies. The buses are generally more basic than those of the scheduled services of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, though there are also some very modern semi-coaches. Most buses are seen in and around Abu Dhabi, though they also come to Dubai. The fleet includes Indian built Ashok-Leyland and TATA 1313 vehicles, South Korean built Daewoo BF105 and more modern BF106 buses, and modern South Korean Hyundai smaller buses and large Aero Space LD semicoaches. Important are also the Japanese midibuses: Toyota Coaster and Nissan Civillian. Emirates numbers all its buses with large 4-digit figures, though there seems to be no obvious system.
Then there are large numbers of privately owned buses. Schools, factories, and car rental companies have their own buses, used for transport of pupils and employees. A few years ago workers were mostly transported in open trucks, but this is no longer allowed. Buses used for these services are mostly rather basic and sometimes secondhand. Large numbers of Inidan built Ashok-Leyland Viking and TATA 1313 of 1210 with various types of bodywork can be seen. One user of these buses is The Model School, which has several. Various types of Japanese built Nissan and Hino were also present. Three US built Blue Bird, one FE and two GMC conventionals, were the only North American representatives. Two modern Hyundai buses were an Aero City and an Aero Space, the latter being a luxury coach, the first one a modern bus used for the transport of school children and having barred windows! A secondhand West European bus was a MAN SL200 standard city bus, still bearing some German texts. A dark-colored Ikarus 250 apparently belonged to Abu Dhabi Municipality Transport but was not used on public services. Very common are the midibuses: Toyota Coaster, Nissan Civillian, and Mitsubishi Rosa from Japan. From South Korea come the Kia Pony and the Hyundai County. Only one Kia Pony was seen, but several brand new Hyundai County were present. The Hyundai County Super is longer but was rarer than the short version. The Hyundai County has a rear emergency door.
Interestingly most higher specification coaches were seen in Sharjah. Most were secondhand, though there were also some new vehicles. The largest company owning coaches is Autolease, with mostly allover white buses and coaches. Seen were 4 Nissan -Fuji of two different models, 2 15-meter 3-axle Volvo B10M -DP (Finland), and 3 Scania -Irizar. Other buses and coaches belonging to a variety of companies were one Neoplan coach, one Mercedes O303, one Mercedes O404, one Turkish built Mercedes O302S -Otomarsan (Budget car rental), one Setra S208 (ex-Cairo Engg Steel Services), one Setra S215HDH (ex Marti, Switzerland, in full Marti livery), one Volvo B7R -Marcopolo Viaggio GV1000, and one Turkish built DAF SBR3000 with Boronkay body to a Berkhof (Netherlands) design.
All buses mentioned above were imported to the Emirates. Two companies are now importing Indian and Chinese buses. It seems the buses are specially assembled for them in India and then are sold under their own brand name. Doulosbus is based in Abu Dhabi and now offers a range of nine buses and coaches, obviously to Indian and Chinese designs. Their first batch of vehicles arrived in February, 2003. The Belhasa Group is based in Dubai and markets their Chinese and Indian imports as Trans. The Trans Mk I is a typical Indian bus. Two other buses seen were from assembled Chinese components, using FAW chassis with Huanghai bodies. According to a press release the Belhasa bus assembly plant became operational in 1999. Belhasa also markets the Chinese built Jinbei minibus.
Finally, one bus trailer formerly employed at Dubai airport was seen out of service. It seems to have been a British built Wadham Stringer from 1980, that was used with a Bedford tractor unit.
