RTA launches prototype of world's first air-conditioned bus shelter in Dubai

The futuristically-designed, crescent shaped shelters will have a contemporary metallic finish and sliding doors. Over a period of 18 months, more than 500 such bus shelters will be built all across Dubai.

The ultramodern bus shelters will have a range of facilities such as ATMs and vending machines for newspapers, snacks and soft drinks. Further, garbage will be collected in three recycling units outside the shelters for paper, glass and metal.

Speaking at the occasion, H.E Mattar Al Tayer said,

"The launch of this prototype is a sign of things to come, as RTA continues its commitment to transform Dubai's public transport infrastructure. We want to make sure that an increasing number of Dubai's residents are using the public transport system, which will in turn ease the flow of traffic on our roads. The provision of high quality air-conditioned bus shelters will not only go a long way in achieving this objective, it will also complement Dubai's rapid pace of development and progress."

The AED 17.5 million per annum contract for constructing the bus shelters has been awarded to Right Angle Media on the Build-Operate-and Transfer (BOT) basis for ten years. Right Angle Media will be investing in the project for the construction and maintenance of the shelters, for which RTA will make an annual payment of AED 17.5 million. The total construction cost will amount to 35.75 million, while the maintenance costs will be AED 3.5 million per annum.

Abdul Aziz Malik, Director of Public Transport said, "The air-conditioned bus shelters have been designed keeping the comfort and requirements of commuters in mind. Waiting for buses in the scorching heat can be hard and tiring for the people, and these modern bus shelters with an array of amenities will prove extremely beneficial to the large number of commuters. We will be making an investment of over AED 210 million over the coming decade in this project, and we hope to see more and more people to travel by bus.