Tourist Transortation around dubai.

Dubai may be well know as the of the worlds most loved tourist destination as it offers its guests world class shopping malls, marvelous architectural superstructures, desert safari to sea cruises. But along with all these,  it also offers a variety of hassle free transport options to go backpacking around this region. One of the toughest hurdles a tourist faces when visiting a new country is the commute. Usually a city tour bus or a hired taxi driver is the most sort after option which are an expensive option. Dubai Transportation option connects you to every nick and corner making sure you donot miss out on any place during your stay here.

NoI Card: This is a one stop solution to all types of transportation in Dubai be it Metro Bus, Trains or Water taxi. NoI is the Arabic word for “fare”. If you are looking to travel via public transportation around Dubai this card is a MUST as most of the transportation don’t accept credit card or cash. You can purchase this card at Metro stations and Bus terminals.

There are four types of NoI Cards available.

Red Card: This card can be used for only one type of transport service, like Bus or Metro etc. It can be loaded upto maximum 10 times.

Silver Card: This card can be purchased for 20 AED and you can top it upto 500AED maximum. This can be used for all types of RTA (Road Transport Authority) transports.

Gold Card: Same features as the Silver Card except with this card you can access the Gold Metro Seats.

Blue Card: This is a personalized card in which you can retrieve money if you lose the card.

Metro: This is the heartbeat of Dubai transport. Residents use this mode of transport to escape the traffic jams and move about quickly in Dubai. There are two operating lines, Green and Red which connect you to extreme ends of the city. BurJuman and The Union are the intersection stops which you can change your trains. The usual wait time for the next train is 4 to 6 mins. There are special cabin for women and children travelers and Gold, Silver class NoI Card travelers. At the metro station you can also purchase tickets for one way travelling. The websitehttp://wojhati.rta.ae/ offers help in planning your iternary not only with the metro but other public transportation option. Recently, an app version was also released. 

            

Taxi: For places not close to the Metro stations, taxi is the second mode of transportation widely used around Dubai. Taxis are both privately operated and government owned. Cream colored Taxi with “TAXI” sign over it are operated by the Dubai Transport Corporation while other privately run companies are National Taxis, Metro Taxi, Cars Taxi to name a few. Online booking or prior reservation of Taxis can also be done. The minimum charge for these is 10AED. You will also find pink colored taxis which are operated exclusively for women travelers and have women drivers.

Bus:  Operated by the RTA (Road transport Authority), the bus system cover over 193 different routes on weekdays and transports about 30million people on weekly basis. It is a high quality bus with individual seats, different seating are for family and children and Air conditioned, electronic display of the Stops and NoI card punch ups.  NoI cards can be purchased at Bus stops, RTA outlets and Metro stations. The frequency ranges from 8 mins to 12 mins at the max.  Dubai is divided into five zones and the bus fares vary from one zone to another, depending on the destination. The bus services in Dubai connect residential, industrial and business districts.

                

Water Taxi: These taxis are well equipped with LCD screens and air conditioners. They connect to several locations along the creek and also move along the waters of the gulf. Passengers are required to make advance booking, fares can be from 50AED to 570AED depending on the location of travel.

                       

Abras: This is one of the oldest water transportation in Dubai. Abras are motorized wooden boats that are used to cross the creek. It is quite popular among tourists as it gives the feel of Old Dubai. The fare usually ranges from 1AED to 100AED. The operating routes are Deira Old Souk to Bur Dubai and Dubai Old Souk and Sabakha.

                        

Water Bus: Marine Transport Agency, a part of Road and Transportation Agency, implemented the Dubai Water Bus System. The payment can be done either by NoI Card or cash. This is more of an upgraded version of the Abras.

               

Trams: The tram will connect between the Dubai Marina to Mall of Emirates and Burj Al Arab. It will be connecting to the Red Line of Dubai Metro. It is expected to start operating from November 2014.