Abu Dhabi:- The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) of the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) in Abu Dhabi has announced its readiness to meet transport needs for visitors to the Sheikh Zayed Festival 2022, which is being held at the Al Wathba area of Abu Dhabi from November 18th, 2022 until March 18th, 2023.

Given the importance of this heritage and cultural event, which bears the name of the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan - may his soul rest in peace, and as part of the ITC’s keenness to support national events of all kinds, the ITC announced that in coordination with the concerned stakeholders, it mapped out a comprehensive plan to provide safe and comfortable transport services, which would facilitate the public access to and from the venue of the Sheikh Zayed Festival at Al Wathba.

Eight buses will be deployed to transport visitors from Mondays to Thursdays, free of charge, to the Festival yard from several locations across the city of Abu Dhabi and vice versa, while 10 buses will be available to transport visitors from Fridays to Sundays. The buses will provide 30 trips per day from Mondays to Thursdays, and the number will rise to 36 trips per day from Fridays to Sundays and on public holidays. The service frequency will be between 25 to 30 minutes.

The service route starts at the main bus station in Abu Dhabi City and runs to the Co-Operative Society Supermarket – Rabdan. From there, the bus will move on to the Baniyas Court parking lot and finally to the Festival venue at Al Wathba.

The outbound bus rides to the Festival will operate from 3:00 pm until 10:00 pm from Mondays to Thursdays at a frequency of 30 minutes. The return bus rides from the Sheikh Zayed Festival to the city will begin at 4:30 pm and run until 11:30 pm at a frequency of 30 minutes.

From Fridays to Sundays and on public holidays, the outbound bus rides will start at 3:00 pm and run until 9:30 pm at a frequency of 30 minutes, while return buses from the Festival yard will start at 4:30 pm and run until 12 midnight, with an interval of 30 minutes between each trip.

The journey from the Festival site to the main bus station in Abu Dhabi via Rabdan and Baniyas on all weekdays takes about an hour and a half.

To view the bus service timings, please visit the ITC website (www.itc.gov.ae) or contact the Service Support Centre of the Department of Municipalities and Transport on the toll-free number 800-850. Alternatively, you may also download the “Darbi” smart application.

In addition to public buses, the ITC will deploy taxis at the Festival site to serve visitors and facilitate their movement. Customers will also be able to book a taxi by calling 600535353 or through the Abu Dhabi Taxi smart application. Taxi fares can be paid by passengers through the application immediately after completing the trip in an easy, safe, and convenient way.

The traffic management team at the ITC will be responsible for coordinating with strategic stakeholders by providing support and assistance in managing traffic during the events.

The Road Service Patrol (RSP) team will support road users with minor repairs and services such as supplying fuel, changing a tyre, and charging a battery. Other services include towing away broken-down vehicles, monitoring roadside delays to avoid accidents and detecting any accidents and reporting them to the Traffic Management Centre.

The Sheikh Zayed Festival attracts thousands of visitors and offers them exciting events and activities, and at the same time celebrates Emirati traditions and culture through this unique experience. It offers visitors an opportunity to encounter a variety of attractions in many popular pavilions of different countries and civilizations, reflecting the cultural diversity of the UAE and countries around the world.

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