Deira City Centre (DCC), one of the leading shopping and leisure destinations in the UAE, has started a free shuttle bus service for its resident shoppers.

The service, a first-of-its-kind by a mall in Dubai, is part of DCC's pioneering initiatives to firmly place its customers at the heart of its business ethos, said a mall official. 

Called CityExpress, DCC's free residential bus service, transports customers from the mall to key neighbourhoods every day from 3.30pm to midnight.

The six CityExpress buses leave DCC every half-an-hour to cover various locations from within its vicinity such as Clock Tower, Taj Palace Hotel, Rigga Road, Lotus Hotel, Twin Towers, Nasr Square to as far as Bank Street in Bur Dubai and Karama.

"If visitors would like to avail of this service, all they need to do is head to the AC shuttle bus terminal at the west end of the centre where they can comfortably seat themselves and wait for the staff to announce the arrival of their bus," explained Fuad Al Najjar, vice-president, DCC.

"We introduced this complimentary shuttle bus service for residents in 2007 to make their commute from the Centre as easy and comfortable as possible. It has proved to be very popular among our visitors with over 50,000 using this facility every month."

"Not only does our service prove beneficial to customers but also to the environment. In its own small way, our buses are helping reduce congestion on Dubai’s roads and saving some precious fuel as well," he remarked.

"This will also take the worry off them in looking for a taxi or a parking space or having to mind traffic," he pointed out.

To spread awareness about the shuttle service, mall staff regularly distribute leaflets to customers waiting in taxi queues, allowing those whose routes are covered to hop on the bus instead of waiting in line.

One such regular visitor, Rahul Mukerji, a resident of Bur Dubai, said: "Here’s a mall which is thinking out of the box and trying to make our journey from the mall so hassle-free that I do not have to think twice to come here."

"I was introduced to this service as I was waiting in the taxi queue. I was approached by the mall staff in an extremely polite manner requesting me to try out their CityExpress bus service. The staff first introduced himself to me before asking my destination which made me feel very comfortable in trying out the service. It is indeed an excellent service,” he added.-TradeArabia News service