Metro and trams in Dubai to be suspended from 8pm to 6am until April 5

Passengers urged to use personal protective equipment while riding buses or moving around public areas

Metro, tram and marine services in Dubai will remain suspended until April 5 to coincide with the nationwide sterilisation drive, the Roads and Transport Authority said.Pawan Singh / The National

Metro, tram and marine services in Dubai will remain suspended until April 5 to coincide with the nationwide disinfection drive, the Roads and Transport Authority said.

The National Disinfection Programme, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Ministry of Interior, has been extended until April 4 to help contain the spread of Covid-19.

Public transport services will not operate from 8pm to 6am daily until April 5, 2020.

The services will operate during regular times outside of those hours, during which disinfection will take place.

"During these hours over this period, all public transport means in Dubai will cease services and will operate on regular schedules outside those hours, that is, from 7am to 7pm," the RTA said.

The services will be fully operational when the National Disinfection Programme is finished.

All marine transport services such as abras, ferries and water taxis will stop running until April 30. But all public transport journeys will start at 7am, the authority said

The last journey on Dubai Metro's Red Line will depart at 6.02pm, from Rashidiya Station to UAE Exchange, and at 6.02pm from UAE Exchange to Rashidiya.

On the Green Line, the last train will depart from Creek Station to Etisalat Station at 6.13pm, and the last train departs from Etisalat  to Creek at 6.17pm.

The last intercity bus service will depart at 4pm to Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, and 5pm to Ajman and Sharjah, the authority said.

Taxi services through Careem and Uber will be available during the disinfection hours.

Public buses will operate across 13 routes – 8, 10, 12, A13, 17, 24, C01, C07, F18, F21, F34, F43 and X23 – at 30-minute intervals.

These routes serve 19 public and private hospitals including Rashid Hospital in Oud Metha, Iranian Hospital in Al Wasl, Zulekha Hospital in Al Qusais, Dubai Hospital on Al Khaleej Road, Deira, and Baraha Hospital in Deira.

During the disinfection programme, the services will be provided to those working in vital sectors such as emergency services.

Passengers are urged to use personal protective equipment while riding public buses or moving around public areas.

People are also recommended to keep safe distances from each other.