The Dubai Municipality announced Monday that it extended its bus pass facility to allow more pupils from all-different categories and ages to get the benefit from the scheme.
Students of universities and colleges, including private institutions, can now avail of the facility of the discount-rated travel card.
Earlier, students of schools up to secondary level were enjoying the benefits of the scheme which was introduced for the first time by Dubai Municipality on October 2000.
Abdul Aziz Malik, Director of the Public Transport Department, was quoted by Gulf News as saying that the discount-rated travel card has become so popular since it was introduced at the end of last October that the department has decided to offer it to the whole student community.
"Ever since we introduced the Student Bus Pass, we got plenty of requests from students of universities and colleges to extend the scheme to them as well. Accordingly, we have got approval from higher authorities to do so," he said.
According to the Dubai-based paper, the card costs Dh60 a month and is available at the four major bus stations in Dubai - Deira Gold Souq, Al Sabkha, Al Ghubaiba and Satwa - as well as the public transport counter at the Dubai Municipality center in Karama.
Applicants will need to have a student identity card or a letter from the head of their respective institution certifying that they are a student there. They also have to submit two passport-size photographs to get the card issued within 10 minutes.
Malik said the offer came as part of the civic body's commitment to offer distinctive services to various segments of the society.
The green-colored monthly discount card enables students of schools and other educational institutions to make unlimited trips on all routes of the Public Transport Department's coaches.
He added that the decision to introduce student discount cards was taken after a study that took into consideration the needs of this category of passengers who formed a major part of the public transport users in the emirate – Albawaba.com
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