RIYADH – The Riyadh buses project has revealed the operating hours for the buses during the holy month of Ramadan. The operating hours of Riyadh buses have been set to be from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 a.m. It is noteworthy that the Royal Commission for Riyadh City has announced earlier the launch of the first phase of Riyadh buses service, which comes within the King Abdulaziz Public Transport Project. The first phase includes operating more than 340 buses to serve the passengers through 633 stations and stopping points. The service will include 15 lanes within the Riyadh buses network lanes, which totals 86 lanes. The Commission said that the launch of the first phase of the project, which have been developed as one of the strategic projects that aim to serve the transportation needs in the capital will be gradually followed by many other operating phases. The stages of operation of the Riyadh bus service are 5. The project aims to make a quantum leap in the public transport sector and strengthen the interconnection of Riyadh parts to raise the lives' quality of its residents and visitors. The Riyadh buses network will extend for a length of 1,900 km after the completion of operating the 5 phases. The total number of buses will be more than 800 buses operating via. 86 tracks serving the passengers through more than 2,900 stations and stopping points. The service will contribute in facilitating the transportation for all community categories, through using the buses as a means to reach workplaces, school and entertainment activities. It will also contribute in reducing the need for using the private cars, thus traffic congestion will be reduced in Riyadh. As for prices, the cost for the ticket of one trip via Riyadh buses will be SR4, and will be valid for 2 hours, starting from the first login to board the bus or by activating through the application. People are able to transfer to another bus with the same ticket during this period. The options for purchasing tickets have been diversified to make it easier for people, which are: the Darb Card, or through the app, or via the vending machines at bus stations, or by paying the tickets' fees on the bus using bank cards and smart devices. It is noteworthy that the trips of children under the age of 6 will be free of charge. The commission has launched the electronic portal www.riyadhbus.sa, which offers several options for passengers to know the bus's tracks, purchasing tickets' mechanism. It has also launched the Riyadh buses app, which provides many services, including purchasing tickets directly.
