A free bus service that can be hailed on the street is being trialled in an Abu Dhabi suburb.
The 'hail and ride' service is available every day in Mussaffah from 6.00am to 10.00pm and will ferry passengers to the area's bus terminal and smaller stops, the Department of Transport said on Sunday.
Four dedicated routes - M1, M2, M3 and M4 - will serve stops such as Mazzyad Mall, Mussaffah Port, Dalma Mall, labour camps and the main Mussaffah terminal.
The service is already operating and the timetables will be posted on the department's website this week. There will be extra routes spun off from the main four.
The service also might be expanded to other parts of the city depending on its success.
Mussaffah is a suburb of Abu Dhabi that's bisected by the E30. On one side, by the sea, is the industrial area and car workshops, while on the other is the largely residential and commercial area of Mussaffah Shabiya.
The main bus terminal is in the Shabiya part and the four routes will serve both sides.
In the past few years, Abu Dhabi Municipality has cleaned up the industrial area, removing many abandoned cars and derelict buildings.
New residential and commerclal buildings have also been built.
Mussaffah is already served from the city by routes such as the 111 and from Al Rahba via the 210.
But this service aims to improve connectivity around the immediate area.
It also comes as police camp down on illegal taxis operating in the emirate.
Last week, it was revealed that more than 2,000 cases of people offering unlicensed transport services have been reported to Abu Dhabi police since the start of the year.
Many use their own cars as illegal taxis and offer people lifts to suburbs for much less than a regular taxi.
Anyone caught doing this faces a Dh3,000 fine, having their vehicle seized for 30 days and receiving 24 black points on their licence.
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Read more:
How Mussaffah is undergoing a quiet transformation
Mussaffah residents demand more public services and facilities
