Iconic Views

Still u/c metro Green line passing below the Burj Dubai downtown skyline.

On days that I decide not to take the metro into the city, I get my first clear views of the city skyline as I descend from Business Bay Bridge. It is a spectacular skyline, even on less than clear days, with the Burj Dubai, at 165 floors, pointing up to the sky like a beacon.

I am reminded of childhood days, some 40 years ago, when I would anxiously await the first views of the Louisiana State capitol building, scraping the sky at a clean 34 floors, then the tallest building in Louisiana--the place I called home. Occasionally my family made trips to the capital city, Baton Rouge, from my little hometown an hour's drive away.

<< Approach to what could be called Sheikh Zayed Rd's central business district.

Driving 4 hours instead in the opposite direction and into Houston, Texas, I would get an even bigger thrill from spying views of that city's dramatic skyline. Unbeknown to me at the time was that this was a just a hint of what Dubai would eventually come to offer.

Commute

My commute to work this afternoon has me in my regular gold class seat. By boarding at the starting station I can have my choice of seating. The cabin almost fills up as we make our way through a few stations. It is a mixed crowd of Emiratis , some Westerners and other foreign expats. Some of them look like tourists, others joyriders and just a few commuters. Of course there aren't many people still commuting to work at noon.

<< The iconic Burj Dubai tower rises to a needlepoint pinnacle.

Once I disembark from the metro it is about a 7 minute walk to my bus stop 500 meters away. That is the primary extent of my walking. One of the benefits of public transport is that one has to walk quite a bit, which is great for getting exercise. Unfortunately not much walking is required as part of my car, train, and bus commute. Of course, it isn't so much fun trekking under a scorching sun, but the weather will start to cool in a month or so.

When I lived in Japan my daily commute was either by bicycle or by train with a lot of walking, and climbing up and down hundreds of steps to get to and from train platforms. I suppose this is one reason why the Japanese population are so healthy despite their relative wealth. With escalators, moving walkways and air-conditioned bus shelters, the RTA seems to be doing everything it can to entice Dubai residents out of their cars. While this means we'll sweat less, we also won't be able to shed so many extra poinds.

The National had a photo and story on one commuter, predictably a Westerner, who carries his fold-up bicycle onto the train and cycles the rest of his journey on either end. That could well be me if I lived within cycling distance of a station and had a cycle light enough to carry around.

Dubai's new futuristic-looking headquarters for telecom Etisalat. >>

Apart from the fact that the UAE is not a country of cyclists, which results in more road hazards for those who do it, cycling or a combination of cycle and public transport has the positive effect of being healthy, time-efficient, economic and sometimes fun. There is, however, the over-confidence that regular cyclists sometimes develop in thinking they are invulnerable when, in fact, the safety issue is always there.




Construction on towers continues along Sheikh Zayed Road. ↓

Tidbits

The Metro Red line running through new Dubai

No metro ride for me today as I had to stay home from work, having picked up something. Some people are warning, don't ride the metro for fear of swine flu. It is highly unlikely I've got the sniffles from either the metro or the bus. Both are normally not crowded--especially in the gold class. One can sit comfortably with good ventilation.

It is much more likely that I picked up whatever I've got in the office or the apartment block I live in. This morning my building's management staff greeted me with advice to drink tea with lemon, which they said they were all doing.

Wifi No Go, p2
(Yesterday's metro news...)

<< The venerable Dubai World Trade Center (at center), the city's first skyscraper built in 1979.

The Gulf News featured an article on the introduction of Du wireless to the metro. Is this news? I don't get it. The rather hapless wireless service has been available since day one. I was hopeful that the day's news was going to be an announcement of a change in terms which might improve the service, but it simply reported the old news in banner headline form as if to herald something new.

It looks fine in print... wireless internet service at various fee structures. But you don't appreciate what any of that really means unless you actually try to use the service and discover that in reality it is expensive and does not really work.

Login takes a long time, the signal cuts out at times, page loading at times is extremely poor--3, 4, 5 minutes for Gmail to load, if at all--and nearly non-existent upload capability.

Extendable trays in the gold class cabin are more designed for laptops than coffee cups. >>

I have used my laptop nearly every day since opening day on 10 Sept--12 to 15 days now--and the service has been consistently poor. I don't get why they are even charging for this, or at least why they don't enable it to perform well with any consistency.

There are two freebees--the Du website itself (yawn), where you can find out all about their services, and the RTA site. At least the RTA site provides practical and relevant information. You could plan out the remainder of your journey in minute detail and explore bus routes and schedules.

You could also try out a variety of games and metro simulations provided on the virtual RTA site--actually I will need to confirm whether this one is also free to access without a Du login.

Other RTA Business

<< Looking through the metro glass at a receding Jafiliya station. Not directly related to the metro but another facet of the RTA are the driver's license regulations. I am in the process of exchanging a driver's license from Abu Dhabi with a Dubai license. As this is not very commonly done, there is no specific info on any RTA sites detailing the process. It isn't necessary for most people to do this, anyway, as a license from any emirate can be used in any other. In my case, however, I need to replace a damaged license and might as well do so with one for my current residency. Besides, having a Dubai license seems cooler than having an Abu Dhabi one! The requirements I have found, thusfar, are straightforward.

Gold class cabin convenience and comfort. >> Several things are required: original passport photo copy of passport bio and visa pages an eye test certificate (obtained at an RTA approved commercial eyeglasses dealer an NOC (no-objection letter) from ones employer the original license a fee of 110 dhs Not so straightforward, however, is upon presenting all of these to one of the several RTA license centers, I was thereupon informed that I also needed a letter from the Abu Dhabi license office. There you go, the stereotypical bureaucratic red-tape. That is where the process currently hangs. At least the RTA office provided in Arabic a letter which they also placed in a sealed envelope with whatever details or instructions I presume the Abu Dhabi office will be in need of. Thereby, hopefully, avoiding my going to the AD office only to be told that I need something else from the Dubai office. To be continued...

A shaky low-light condition digital snapshot creates an artistic impression of the view through the driverless train window.

Bold Initiatives

Meeting the city's public transport needs. >>

"We are planning to have 90 per cent of Dubai's urban and suburban areas covered with public buses by 2010 with more than 2,000 buses," said Al Dossari.

He said the maximum distance to get to the public transport would be 250 metres from a passenger's doorstep once the system is fully operational by the end of next month.

Gulf News_17-Sep-09

Fanciful?

I came to the UAE 9 years ago and at that time could count the number of bus routes on two hands.

Now there are dozens and the investment in buses seems to already be in the thousands.

During 2010 both of the metro lines should be fully operational and already it is apparent that feeder buses along the existing line have already made the 250 meters goal a reality in some areas.

I can't imagine anywhere else where the commitment to public transport has improved so dramatically within so short a time.

Union Station historical museum style interiors (above & below).

A reflective take on the city >> All alone is how I start my train ride today, at the usual time--about 9 a.m. Not a single other soul in my carriage nor in the women's and gold class sections nearby. It's not really a good sign. Anecdotally, morning usage seems to have grown lighter as the week has progressed. Still, it's early days yet. It is another bright, clear morning, with the city quickly coming into focus. My train arrived at the Airport Terminal 3 station where I saw a couple of pax toting big bags on wheels heading into the terminal. I'm not absolutely sure that they had disembarked from the metro, but it would appear so and it would also seem that heavy bags are allowed on the metro, within reason. I would qualify this by explaining that many workers, especially laborers in the UAE, usually head back to their home contries on vacation or final return with huge parcels--containing the maximum weight allowed. This was formerly 50 kg--a massive amount when packed into a single carton, but I believe that the limit has been reduced in recent years. In any event, these travelers still carry quite a bit with them, so I'm doubtful that this would fall into the metro carry-on allowance. The train has picked up a few more pax in the underground stations, but there are still seats available. With that it's time to attempt to log in and upload before I reach my final stop.

Quote of the Day

---

"And now our challenge is how to really persuade the UAE people to travel on this train. They will take time but this is there.

"Foreigners will travel on it, I will travel, but it will take time to make UAE citizens travel on the train."

Sheikh Mohammad, ruler of Dubai

Will they be convinced to ride the buses, too?

Busing

I wasn't thinking much beyond the metro window when I started this blog, but just as interesting is the view from and on the bus. Taking the bus, seems to be an essential component of taking the metro. In that light the unified bus/metro fare makes sense.

Dubai 2009--the future is now. Train approaching Financial Center station.

I'd have to say I'm a fan of Dubai's double-decker buses. They're not like the famous Red London buses as the ones in Dubai are all brand new and ultra modern. Riding on the top deck you get an unrivaled and basically free tourist-ready view of the city.

Different from the metro, you will find more laborers on the buses, but for the most part the passengers seem to consist of a full variety of the population, excluding Western expats and locals. Actually, there appear to be very few Arabs of any nationality.

Oh well, that leaves us with natives of the sub-continent, as it's called, and Filipinos mostly.

Sitting in the seat across the aisle from me is a handsome Pashtoon wearing the traditional hospital gown colored pajama garb and a Ramadan beaded cap. For the most part, things shiny and new like these buses and the metro, remain that way in Dubai. I think I'm the only person around toting an expensive camera and laptop, but there is no need to be concerned about anything getting snatched.

Station entrance of Financial Center

Bank vault? No, restroom entrance in the station.

Back on the metro I am continuing my commute to Rashidiya. When I boarded, the train was packed.

At the first stop I got off and moved up a few carriages to where there was a bit more space. Then, I disembarked again at Union station and took photos on the two station levels there.

That done, I came back down to the platform and boarded the next Rashidiya bound train, which was quite empty.

I have a seat now, the easier to blog from! The moral of this, if your carriage is too crowded get off and move to another. If the train is still too crowded, then disembark and take the next one.

Sun sets on the city--view from the metro at DXB International.

PM Commute

The pride of Dubai: 165-story Burj Dubai, seen through tinted glass from the top deck of the 98E bus.

It's 6 pm now and I'm on the commute back home, leaving Jafliya station and heading underground to my favorite, Bur Juman station. I won't be getting off there, however. It's back to Rashidiya and then my drive back to Ajman.

I struggled with the bus in the morning but am now getting the hang of it. Wojhati, that online route planner with the Arabic name is becoming more user friendly to me. So, with a feeling of accomplishment I got the bus from work on time and on the right route, got a lot of photos enroute and happily topped up my Nol card when I reached the station.

From office door, a brief walk to the bus stop, a few minutes wait for the bus, a 10 minute ride, then off the bus and into the station terminal in a couple hundred meters--all like clockwork. Finally!

Burj Dubai seen from ground level.

The Financial Center metro station.

Once on the train I crowded in the front car with a few other passengers, all wielding cameras or mobile phones and getting snaps of metro rail, buildings that line either side and approaching stations and trains. It's day 4 or 5 of the metro and the buzz is still in the air. I don't know how long we will all be allowed to take photos at will of station, trains, the cabins and our fellow passengers, but it is fun while it lasts.

Up the escalator of the station foot bridge.

The foot bridge across Sheikh Zayed Rd.

There isn't any evidence of rush hour commuting yet as even at this time it is easy to find a seat, although most are taken. The mix of passengers includes the various nationality types who populate the city. Most are men aged 20-40, probably the largest demographic grouping in the city. But there are some women, couples and the odd family. Most of the men appear to be working class or professionals. I see the occasional dishdasha and abaya as well.

Passengers wait on the platform for their train.

View of the track through the towers of SZR.

Over the intercom is a continuing string of BGM--actually a modern sounding, upbeat little melody that repeats every 9 seconds. Announcements are in Arabic then English. Well, I'm just exiting the underground portion of the route with two stations to go to my stop.

A fellow passenger takes in the views.

From the front car it resembles a rollercoaster.

I'll try to get in a couple more pictures.