“The Red Bus”: Baghdad residents’ refuge from the summer heat and high transportation costs
The “Red Buses”, belonging to the Iraqi Passenger and Delegation Transport Company, continue to play their role in easing the burden of transportation for citizens in the capital, Baghdad, especially in areas of the city center such as Tahrir Square, Al-Shourja, Bab Al-Muadham, and the connecting lines between the two sides of Karkh and Rusafa.
These buses, which include single-decker and double-decker models, are a preferred means of transportation for a wide segment of employees, workers, and self-employed individuals, due to the low fares they offer compared to other means of transportation, as well as their contribution to reducing the suffering caused by traffic congestion during peak times.
Citizens told Shafaq News Agency that “the red buses, despite needing more attention, maintenance and improved cleanliness, still represent an important economic option for people with limited income.”
Citizen Abdul-Ilah told Shafaq News Agency, “The red buses have become a real lifeline for people with limited income. Despite their small number and the fact that we sometimes have to wait for more than a quarter of an hour in the parking lots, they remain better than the expensive taxis.”
He added that “the passenger can travel between Victory Square and Bab Al-Muadham and vice versa for only 500 dinars, which makes it a suitable means of transportation for a large segment of citizens in light of the current living conditions.”
Citizens hope for an increase in the number of red buses and the development of their services, which will contribute to strengthening public transport and relieving pressure on the main streets in the capital.
Two years ago, former Transport Minister Razak Muhaibis Al-Saadawi inaugurated the fifth public transport line in Baghdad, pledging that the “red bus” would reach all areas of the capital.
The Minister of Transport said in a speech during the opening ceremony that “the Ministry of Transport, represented by the General Company for Passengers and Delegations, has begun activating the fifth line of mass transit in the capital, Baghdad.”
Shafaq.com