It’s easy to poke fun at Dubai for all of its insane excesses, but because we’re big-hearted greenies, we also want to give the Emirate a giant high-five when it does something worthwhile. And the Green Bus is certainly that.
Although the merits of bio-fuel are still debatable (depending on the source), this pilot bus, which provides a feeder route between the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall metro, is powered with bio-diesel, fitted with solar-powered, energy-efficient LED lights, and features some recycled materials in the floor and seats, as well as recycled tires.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has been testing the bus for a while and have recently extended the pilot project to ensure everything runs well before considering a plan to scale up this more sustainable public transportation option.
“We will continue with the experiment for another year to study different aspects of the ‘Green Bus,’ said Abdul Mohsin Ebrahim Younes, CEO of RTA’s Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector.
“We want to make sure everything works well. We are setting up plans to see how well we can implement the same technologies in the rest of our fleet,” he added.
Supported by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Green Bus project is a collaborative effort between the RTA and SS Lootah International, one of the fiercest proponents of bio-fuels in the United Arab Emirates.
“This trend is now widely perceived as a necessary measure to reduce global warming, conserve natural resources, and recycle waste by transforming it into environment-friendly bio fuels,” chief executive of SS Lootah Yousef Saeed told The National.
Although the Emirate continues to explore insane development projects, the bus is forging a very clear, albeit narrow, path towards a more sustainable future.
Stock image of a fast-moving green bus, Shutterstock
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
