Behind the wheel: A day in the life of an Abu Dhabi bus driver


  • English
  • Arabic

Mohammed Munsur has been working as a bus driver in Abu Dhabi for the past 15 years.

Apart from the long drive and the close bond he shares with his colleagues, it's the passengers he meets along the way that make his trips memorable.

"I have so many regular passengers. If I change my route, they ask for me," he says. "It feels good."

Mr Munsur, 43, moved to the UAE from Chittagong, Bangladesh, in 2003, to work in a hotel. Two years later, he moved to Dubai to work as a bus driver.

Four years on, he shifted base to the UAE capital to work at Abu Dhabi Mobility, previously known as the Integrated Transport Centre.

"I love driving in Abu Dhabi because there's very little traffic," he says.

Mr Munsur has also won many awards at AD Mobility, twice the "best driver" in 2015 and 2016, and a special award for transporting passengers from the airport in Abu Dhabi to quarantine zones during the Covid pandemic.

His day usually starts at 5am and ends at 2pm, with an hour break for his meals.

When he isn't driving people around in the big, blue buses, Mr Munsur turns on the camera to build a social media audience.

"It's a hobby," he admits, one he's excited about.

His skills with the camera have not gone unnoticed at AD Mobility, with bosses often asking that he film special events and guests.

"I never thought I'd become a bus driver," he says, but after 15 years on the job, he says it has helped him build a better life for his family back home in Bangladesh.

He now aims to bring his wife and two daughters to live with him in the UAE and build a home of his own in Bangladesh. "Inshallah, it will happen soon," he says.

If you go

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.

The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.

MATCH INFO

AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Scorebox

Dubai Hurricanes 31 Dubai Sports City Eagles 22

Hurricanes

Tries: Finck, Powell, Jordan, Roderick, Heathcote

Cons: Tredray 2, Powell

Eagles

Tries: O’Driscoll 2, Ives

Cons: Carey 2

Pens: Carey

Updated: July 08, 2024, 7:18 AM`