Taxi
The most preferred means of transportation is a taxi, which can be stopped right on the street. It will cost slightly less than parking near the hotel. In Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, taxis are equipped with meters. The fare in Dubai is 1.25 drx per kilometer plus 3 drx (after 22.00 - 3.5 drx) per landing. The cost of landing in a special "female" taxi with a pink roof is 6 drh. On average, a short trip within the city will cost you 15-25 drx (US $ 4-7). Keep in mind that the price of a taxi depends not only on the distance of the distance on the map, but also on the number of traffic jams.
You can call a taxi in Dubai by calling (04) 208 0808. In this case, the cost of boarding a taxi will also be 6 drx in the daytime, and not 3 drx, as indicated earlier. Typically, taxis are on duty at hotels or they are called by the concierge. You can stop a taxi in the city with your raised hand, but you should do it where it is possible to park the car so that it does not interfere with the traffic flow (for example, at a bus stop or at a "pocket" for parking).
There are also taxis operating outside the city (long distance). You can travel alone in them, but then you have to pay for all the places - or you can go to the company of fellow travelers, dividing the cost for each. Long-haul taxis leave from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station in Bar Dubai and from the bus station on Al Ittihad Square in Deira. Thus, you can get from Dubai to Hatta or AlAin for 150 drh, to Fujairah for 100 drh and to Sharjah for 25 drh.
Keep in mind that not all taxis are equipped with meters in Sharjah, and when traveling from Abu Dhabi outside the city, the price should be discussed with the driver in advance.
Bus
For those who like to save money on everything, there is such a kind of transport as regular buses, which run every half an hour on different routes. A trip inside Dubai (in the company of citizens of India and Pakistan) will cost 2 drh, about US $ 0.5.
The two main bus stations are Al Ghubaiba in BarDubai and Gold Souk in Deira. From them you can drive not only to the beach of Jumeirah, but also to other emirates. For example, from Bar Dubai, buses leave for Abu Dhabi (15 drx), Al Ain and Sharjah. Bus
We go to Fujairah (25 drh) and the eastern emirates leave the bus station on Al Ittihad Square in Deira.
If in the latter case the ticket can be purchased directly from the driver, then in other places the ticket purchase system can be different - say, when traveling to Abu Dhabi, you should first take a seat in the cabin and then go to the ticket office.
Many buses in the UAE are equipped with transparent partitions that separate female seats from male ones. But even where these partitions do not exist, the lady has the right to demand that a male neighbor not be seated to her.
Details of Dubai buses can be obtained at major stops equipped with maps and timetables. For more information, visit the Dubai Department of Public Transport at www.dubaipublictransport.ae. The map posted on the site will allow you to take a virtual walk around the city. The site is bilingual - in Arabic and English.
Water taxi
There is also such an exotic mode of transport as the light 20-seat boat abra, the lines of which connect the embankments of Deira and Bar Dubai. The number of stations is constantly increasing, so perhaps soon they will be located not only near the Twin Towers shopping center, Al Sabha Street, Spice Market (Deira) and the Old Bazaar (Bar Dubai).
Underground
The first metro in the Persian Gulf region, officially opened on September 9, 2009, operates daily from 06.00 to 23.00 from Saturday to Thursday and from 14.00 to midnight on Friday. At each station, trains stop for 20-30 seconds. The average speed of the train (excluding stopping times) is 110 km / h. To date, only 10 of 29 red line stations are open for Dubai metro passengers: Al Rashidiya, Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, Deira City Center, Al Rigga, Union Square, Khalid Bin Al Waleed (BurJuman), Al Jafiliya, Financial Center , Mall of the Emirates and Nakheel Harbor and Tower. All the remaining metro stations of the "red line" will be open by February next year. By July 2010, a 19-kilometer green branch will be put into operation.
Dubai Metro is divided into five zones. The cost of a one-time metro ride is from 80 fils (20 cents) to 6.50 dirhams ($ 1.80), depending on the zone, which is cheaper than a ticket to the Paris metro for 1.60 euros (about 8 dirhams). Tickets for multiple trips during the day are sold at 14 dirhams ($ 3.90), which is much cheaper than London Underground tickets, which are sold at 4 pounds (about 24 dirhams).
The Dubai Metro is equipped with all the necessary facilities for people with disabilities, including audio-visual devices and special information screens designed for people with impaired hearing and vision, special lifts, escalators and ATMs are also installed, and there are separate places for disabled people in cars armchairs with seat belts.
In the Dubai metro, smoking is prohibited, both at stations, and in crossings and at bus stops. Eating and drinking soft drinks in the metro will be allowed only in specially designated places, including a cafe at the stations. Carrying alcoholic beverages in the subway is considered an administrative violation, entailing appropriate severe sanctions. Persons who have committed acts of vandalism in wagons or metro stations will be subject to administrative prosecution. Passengers who behave incorrectly, spit on the floor and litter, will be fined.
The safety of the metro passengers is ensured by 660 police officers of various ranks, as well as several dozen looking dogs. More than 3,000 CCTV cameras have already been installed at stations, in transitions and subway tunnels. Several dozens of service dogs trained to search and detect narcotic and explosive substances will be accompanied by police patrols that ensure safety in the Dubai Metro.
The first line of the Dubai Metro is served by 500 comfortable buses, providing transportation of passengers between the metro stations and the surrounding areas. Buses run along 42 new routes designed specifically for metro passengers. The maximum distance between the metro station and the bus route serving it is 500 m, which fully complies with international standards. In total, two lines of the Dubai Metro will serve 787 buses. These buses are marked with the letter F (from feeder bus).
Dubai metro passengers will be able to park their cars in free parking lots for a while, while they use metro trains to travel around the city. Cars can be parked for free in the parking complexes of the three main metro stations in Dubai - Rashidiya, Al-Guseys and Jumeirah Islands. The right to use free parking will need to be confirmed by metro tickets.
Can i rent a car?
Practice shows that the Russian (Kazakhstan, Ukrainian, etc.) driving licenses of an international standard are treated normally. The only condition is that the car must be rented through a car rental company (rent-a-car). You do not have the right to drive a car that is not taken from an official car rental company.
In general, the rules of the road in the UAE are no different from the rules in the CIS countries. If you have experience driving a car in a large city, then it will not be difficult for you to join the traffic flow of the United Arab Emirates. The traffic in the UAE is right-handed. The roads here are with excellent surface, without potholes and pits. There are some positive differences in the organization of traffic (compared with Russia). So, for example, at almost every major intersection there are road branches that allow you to make a right turn, bypassing a traffic light, which helps a lot during peak hours. The intense rhythm of movement led to the emergence of another rule - all, without exception, roundabouts in the UAE are organized according to the principle: movement along the ring - movement along the main road.
Another positive point: with a confidence of 95%, it can be argued that if you have not committed a serious violation (accident, driving at a red light), the traffic inspector will never stop you. For minor violations (unfastened seat belt, talking on a cell phone while driving while driving, a slight speeding) you will not be stopped. They simply enter the car number into the computer database and you will have to pay a fine when returning the rental car. Moreover, the authorities do not even bother to send out penal receipts. Most violators learn about fines issued only at the time of the annual technical inspection.
Unpleasant features. Firstly, the location of information road signs: they are not installed 100-150 meters before the intersection, but directly at the intersection itself. If the road is not entirely familiar and the driver is guided by the road signs, then there is practically no time to make a decision (and even more so to maneuver). Secondly, speed control systems. There are just a huge number of them. In addition to stationary automatic radars, portable (mobile) radars are also used, which also operate in automatic mode. To increase the intimidation on the sidelines, you can see warning signs of huge sizes: "Warning! Road monitored by radar!". Thirdly, thoughtless (you can not name otherwise) behavior of some drivers on the roads. Despite the established restrictions on the permissible speed of movement in the city (mainly - 60, sometimes - 80? 100 km / h), they are carried at speeds of up to 110-120 km / h and higher. But this is not so bad. Worse is the other - the distance between the cars rarely exceeds 4 × 5 meters. Obviously, drivers are hoping that nothing will happen to the car in front. And on the road there is everything. Therefore, a picture of 3? 4 (and sometimes more) colliding cars is not so rare.
Behavior on the road. There are no special requirements different from those adopted in other countries. Everything, as everywhere else: never drive while intoxicated, be sure to fasten your seat belt, do not talk while driving on a cell phone. If you are suddenly stopped by a policeman (usually this happens only in case of a clear violation) - do not argue and in no case offer a bribe! Remember, after any accident everything is decided right at the scene. The decision of the policeman, made by him in the first minutes of the “debriefing,” is final in 98% of cases and is practically not subject to appeal. Police in case of an accident call 999. To avoid major traffic congestion, it is forbidden to go to the intersection (even to the green light of the traffic light) if a traffic jam has formed behind it. This is evidenced by a special road marking - a yellow outline around the perimeter of the intersection.
VERY IMPORTANT: If you got into an accident and your car interferes with traffic, then it must be removed from the roadway. If you did not do this, the police have the right to fine you for creating a traffic jam, and the amount of the fine can be very high.
Speed. Be guided by signs. In the city, a speed of 40, 60, 80 or 100 km / h is allowed, depending on the significance of the street.
