Dubai:Getting Around

Dubai has an excellent network of well maintained roads. Till not very long ago driving around Dubai was easy. However, a cocktail of explosive growth in recent years, ever growing vehicle and tourist numbers and wide & flat desert roads means that it is not unusual for the entire city to be virtually grid locked during hours of peak traffic. A sophisticated underground system, the Dubai Metro - slated to be the biggest in the world (typical of Dubai to seek yet another superlative), is currently under construction. After it opens its doors in 2009 getting around Dubai should get a great deal easier. In the mean time a private car or a taxi are the only means of getting around Dubai.

Driving in Dubai

Driving in Dubai is not to be taken lightly - and, in our view, not for the first time visitor. If you are determined to drive make sure that you have a valid driving licence and an International Driving Permit. A passport & a credit card are essential for hiring a car in Dubai. The Office of Licensing at the Deira City Center mall will issue a temporary driving permit on presentation of a valid driving licence, a passport & two passport sized photographs. In practice this is not advisable.

Traffic discipline and driver courtesy are unheard of in Dubai. Diversions pop up, move and disappear continually and are badly signposted. Traffic slows to a crawl during the morning (7:00-10:00h) & evening (16:00-21:00h) rush hours. Road signage in Dubai is good but with inconsistencies between the English and Arabic signs. Junction numbering on arterial roads, such as Sheikh Zayed, leaves much to be desired.

Dubai has one of the highest rates of per capita road deaths in the world. Roads in Dubai are not pedestrian friendly. Nevertheless, the more poorly paid migrant workers do often walk considerable distances and are obliged to risk their lives trying to cross the wide roads so it pays to be vigilant. In recent years the use of car seat belts has become obligatory in Dubai. However, this is a rule that is frequently broken.

The concept of child safety in automobiles has yet to arrive in Dubai. It is not unusual to find infants being used as a kind of improvised air bag - seated on the lap of the front seat passenger or even the driver.

Taxis in Dubai

At the present time the only practical means of transportation for the tourist visiting Dubai is the taxi. Dubai taxis are cheap but hard to hire during the morning and evening rush hours. All taxis in Dubai are operated by the Dubai Taxi Agency - a branch of the, government owned, Roads & Transport Authority. All Dubai taxis have a fare meter and seat belts. However be extra vigilant should you hail a taxi from the neighboring emirate of Sharjah.

In theory it is possible to book a taxi on the DTA website or by simply sending an SMS message. In practice this option is not accessible to the majority of tourists since it requires the provision of a local mobile phone number. Plan well ahead if you plan to travel during the morning or evening rush hours - book your taxi 12 hours in advance. If you are staying at a hotel and are unable to find a taxi, it is likely that the hotel concierge will offer you the use of a "private" taxi. Should you choose to accept the offer double check to make sure that the car has seat belts - not all privately owned cars do.

Dubai Transport proudly boasts of the availability of taxis with child seats and disabled access. In practice this rarely works. It is not unusual to book a taxi with these facilities only to find that the vehicle that turns up doesn't have them. If you are travelling with an infant or small child it is best to bring your child safety equipment - it can be safely deposited with the staff at the information desks in most large shopping malls.

If you plan on using a taxi to take you back from a shopping mall to your hotel be aware that the wait can be a long one - upto an hour at Deira City Center on a weekday and much longer on Friday evenings. By far the best choice of mall for Friday evenings is the Emirates Mall where you stand a fair chance of queing for no more than ten minutes.

Buses in Dubai

If you want to see the hidden Dubai - not the gleaming skyscrapers, plush hotels and opulent shopping malls - try travelling on a Dubai bus. The bus service is used almost exclusively by low income migrant workers. A bus journey will give you the opportunity to rub shoulders with this class of Dubai'ite - the class that keeps the city running. Bus fares are dependent on distance and range from Dhs 2 to Dhs 5. You can either pay the driver or buy a book of ten tickets in advance at any of the bigger bus stations. This is probably not worth doing - you may not want to repeat the experience.

Dubai does not have the concept of a bus lane. In practice this means that bus timetables cannot be relied upon, especially during peak hours - expect delays of upto an hour.

Travelling between major destinations, e.g. the Gold Souk to Deira City Center is not usually a problem. Using the bus to get off at an intermediate stop is probably unwise if you are a new comer to Dubai - the stops are irregularly spaced and poorly indicated. To make matters worse they can move - thanks to the fact that much of the city is a constantly evolving construction site. You can always tell the driver to let you know when to get off. However, bus drivers in Dubai are often stressed out - wouldn't you be? - so don't count on him remembering. Seats at the front of the bus, i.e. near the driver, are reserved for women. Consequently - unless you happen to be a woman - you may not be able to see the driver indicating your stop.

Dubai Creek Abras

An alternative to using taxis, cars and buses in Dubai is the Abra. The traditional Abra is a small wooden boat used to transport passengers across Dubai Creek - the narrow stretch of water that separates Deira from Bur Dubai. Modern day Abras come in a variety of flavors - motorized ones, traditional wooden ones, rowing Abras, private hire Abras... .

Many hotels in Dubai offer a complimentary bus shuttle service with a stop in the Nasser Square/Baniyas Square area of Deira. The Abra station near the Old Souk - only a stone's throw away - is a handy way of quickly getting across to Bur Dubai. The fare for a one way trip is 1 Dhs. The crossing takes around 10 minutes - a fraction of the time for the equivalent road journey. An Abra crossing after dark offers spectacular views of the Dubai skyline.