New 'Park and Ride' service prepares for launch in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi will start offering a new "park and ride" service for drivers from Saturday, January 2.

The Integrated Transport Centre of the Department of Municipalities and Transport made the announcement.

The service will allow people to park their vehicles in dedicated spaces in the suburbs of Abu Dhabi Island and use free public buses to travel to different areas inside Abu Dhabi City.

As many as 1,000 parking spaces will be offered in Mohammed bin Zayed City and Al Shahama.

Two buses services, the 104 and the 411, will be operating from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm, Saturday to Thursday.

Route 104 will depart from Al Huwaim Street in Mohammed bin Zayed City to Abu Dhabi Main Bus Station in Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Street, Al Wahda Mall in Hazza bin Zayed Street, Etisalat building in Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Street and Qaser Al Hosn in the intersection between Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Street and Khalifa Street. 

While route 411 will depart from Shahama F1 Assembly point to Abu Dhabi Main Bus station in Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Street, Maryam bint Saeed Mosque parking in Sultan bin Zayed Street in Al Dana, Abu Dhabi Central Post Office parking spaces in the same area and in the intersection between Sheikh Khalifa and Sultan bin Zayed Street in Al Dana. 

Physical distancing will be followed, facemasks are mandatory and only 24 seats will be available on each bus.

Drivers can obtain the service card for the parking spaces. The card is valid for one day only and can be used unlimitedly within the same day of issuance in Abu Dhabi. They will not be sold on the buses, and fine for travelling without one is AED200.

The Park and Ride service launch coincide with the launch of "Darb" - the Abu Dhabi Toll Gate System - to vary the travelling options available, offer alternative means of transport, enhance the smoothness of the traffic flow, and reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.