The Abu Dhabi Department of Transportation has started to run alternative energy public buses on the streets of the rich Emirate.

These buses are designed to reduce the carbon footprint and emissions of vehicles across the Arabian Emirate. They are powered with a compressed natural gas (CNG) engine that produces 228 kilowatts (around 310 horse powers) with almost zero emissions.

These emissions are away below the limits of the Enhanced Environmentally friendly Vehicle (EEV) that meets the European standards of the definition of a “clean car.”

Adding this technology to buses will make the public buses in Abu Dhabi even greener. This initiative has been launched after 500 government vehicles and taxis had their engines converted to CNG engines, including luxury vehicles. By the end of 2012, around 25 percent of Abu Dhabi government vehicles will run on CNG. The conversion is to be done by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), which is the major oil producing company in the oil-rich Emirate. The natural gas usage would reduce around 50 percent of motorists’ refueling costs.

The first CNG station was opened in May 2011. Right now, Abu Dhabi has around twelve CNG stations for motorists who have converted cars. Due the high number of vehicles per capita in Abu Dhabi, local governments advise all car owners to convert their cars in the official conversion centers in the Emirate, although it’s still optional for each owner to do so. However, using public transport is not popular among the UAE nationals.

The official conversion centers are provided by ADNOC with latest technologies in this field. Ultimately, the Emirate hopes to reduce emissions of carbon by 25 percent, carbon dioxide by 80 percent and nitrogen by 60 percent according to the Emirates transport website.

In 2009 , Abu Dhabi lunched Personal Rapid Transit (Podcars) to be used with in Masdar city. Masdar city is the greenest city within the Abu Dhabi Emirate, where the streets are without any kind of vehicles. These podcars are imported from a Dutch company called 2getther.

These Podcar vehicles are driver-less taxis with a large network within the city to provide cheap, clean and calm transportation for the city’s residents and visitors.

Also in Masdar city there is group rapid transit system that operates around the city in a large network.

Masdar city will be connected to the proposed Abu Dhabi metro system and Abu Dhabi’s light rail network, which will begin to operate by 2016.

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About the author

Obai Radwan
I'm Palestinian citizen , living in Lisbon, Portugal I love traveling ,photographing ,and swimming! I've Bachelor's Degree in Mass communications from Cairo University follow me on Twitter @ubai1982