Abu Dhabi’s exemplary public bus system has been up and running for nearly two years now. Think the bus is beneath you? Here are five good reasons to think again.

1: The cost Though the buses were free for the first year, the price has now risen to the extraordinarily reasonable figure of one dirham. Even the cheapest taxi in town will charge you five times that just to warm the seat.

2: The course A variety of lines cover most of the main routes around the island from Sheikh Zayed Mosque to Marina Mall to Abu Dhabi Mall and all points in between. Not a bad option on those days when the taxis seem scarce. There’s a very good interactive map at tinyurl.com/cv7xhu.

3: The condition Ok, the people who ride the bus are not members of the royal family, but the buses themselves are sparkling clean and air-conditioned, and to tell the truth, no one ever seems to smell—seriously. And even if you’re not a member of the royal family, the bus is still just about the only ride in town bigger than a Land Cruiser.

4: The courtesy Call us sexist, call us old-fashioned, but nothing warms a girl’s heart like knowing that every public bus provides priority seating for ladies. Bus drivers insist on mandatory chivalry too, so if a man is in the last seat when a woman of any nationality gets on, she still gets to sit.

5: The cause Of the environment, that is. What better reason to leave your car at home than in the interest of caring for the world at large. Avoid traffic with the peace of mind that you’re doing your part.

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