Blue Abras (tourist abras powered by electricity) have once again been hugely embraced by Global Village visitors for the six year running; a practice that has had a substantial contribution to the revival of this traditional transit mode characterized by fun & entertainment. This high footfall recorded by Blue Abras is reflected on the healthy number of riders of this mode which has exceeded 15,000 riders since November last.
Emirates 24/7 quoted Dr. Yousef Al Ali, CEO of RTA Public Transport Agency as saying: "We are very keen on taking part in the events of the Global Village for several months each year as part of our vision to have an indelible impact on this annual showpiece. This has reflected on our ability to attract huge numbers of the public, be it residents or visitors of the UAE, by operating traditional abras to beef-up our marine transport fleet, considering them part & parcel of our mobility options, particularly noting that abras have the privilege of being the first transit mode in Dubai linking the two shores of the Dubai Creek i.e. Deira and Bur Dubai." "Deploying traditional abras as an entertainment transit means at the Global Village is a key step through which the RTA is seeking to invite the attention of various community segments of different ages to this transit means in a bid to promote the tourist movement in Dubai, and also showcase the pioneering efforts of the RTA in undertaking a variety of inland and marine transit projects," explained Al Ali.
"The deployment of traditional abras at the Global Village also echoes the close coordination & cooperation between various entities in Dubai as the management of the Global Village has a significant contribution to the success of the project by allocating the appropriate place & line for up to 5 abras. The tourist journey passes through the lake across a host of villages overlooking the water canal; offering much enjoyment to abra riders who can have a panoramic view of key landmarks of the Village. The considerable interest of the public in these abras every season is quite evident as the number of abra riders at the Global Village last year (the fifth year of the service) clocked 121,074 riders.
"Traditional abras at the Global Village are powered by electricity in order to ensure a pollution-free environment. Abras are operated daily from 4 pm up to 12 am (midnight) and the tourist journey takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Each abra has a capacity to accommodate six riders and the fare is fixed as 50 dirham," said the CEO of RTA Public Transport Agency in a final remark.
Source: WAM