Now public transport commuters travelling inside Central Business Districts (CBD) have to pay extra, as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has realigned mobility zones in Dubai.
With the launch of the Green Line, which runs through the heart of CBD, less than a month away, the expansion of zones from five to seven, metro and bus fares for travelling in the area would be affected.
The expansion has seen a division of the CBD into two zones as Satwa, Karama and Bur Dubai, which used to be part of Zone Five have been carved into a new zone, which means travelling between Bur Dubai and Gold Souq in Deira which was earlier in the same zone and cost Dh1.80, would now cost more.
One apparent benefit commuters would have of the realignment is that areas of Muhaisana and Mirdiff which were earlier divided into two zones would now come under one single Zone Four.
The basic fare for travelling on the Metro as well as buses remains the same.
A short journey not exceeding three kilometres will continue to cost Dh1.80, while travel within the same zone but exceeding three kilometres would cost Dh2.30. A journey between two zones would continue to cost Dh4.10 and beyond two zones would be Dh5.80.
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) plans to open new visa medical fitness centres including one in Karama soon to meet the huge demand.
If you are an employer looking to fill a vacancy, or a real estate agent eager to rent out a shared bed or studio somewhere in Dubai, without paying the cost of a newspaper classified ad, walls are your best bet. A walk around the neighborhoods of Deira, Bur Dubai, Karama and Satwa reveal posters, pamphlets and handwritten notes pasted on building walls, lamp posts and even temporary pavement boards, offering jobs and accommodations.