abras

"The fleet of wooden abras that ferry people across Dubai Creek is to be replaced from next year with a new generation of modern boats that are safer and more efficient, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said yesterday.

The new boats will be lighter, faster, more flexible and more environmentally friendly than the motorised abras they are replacing but will look the same as the traditional wooden vessels.
The authority’s Marine Agency said it would introduce some of the new abras in a pilot project next year. If they prove popular with operators and passengers, the existing fleet of 149 motorised abras – many of which are more than 30 years old – will be gradually phased out and replaced."

"The Marine Agency manages 149 privately owned motorised abras which carry 28 million passengers a year, a rate that is growing by seven per cent a year. Costing just Dh1 a trip, it represents one of the cheapest modes of public transport in the country. Marine mass transit systems are an essential part of the RTA’s plans to reduce Dubai’s road congestion."

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