Dubai introduces contactless payment on public transport

Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) is to launch a contactless fare payment system on the city’s metro, public buses and water bus. Passengers will be able to pay by smart mobile phones using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The RTA says that contactless technology, where the mobile phone is passed over sensors mounted on the access gates to public transport stations, is the first of its kind in the Middle East.
October 19, 2012 Read time: 1 min
6700 Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is to launch a contactless fare payment system on the city’s metro, public buses and water bus. Passengers will be able to pay by smart mobile phones using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

The RTA says that contactless technology, where the mobile phone is passed over sensors mounted on the access gates to public transport stations, is the first of its kind in the Middle East.

H.E. Matar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA, says “The new service enables public transport users to pay their fares through the e-payment portal, top-up their Nol accounts electronically, and query balances via phone. The RTA has coordinated a trial run of the service with telecommunication providers Etisalat and Du to assess the performance of the service before its official launch in mid 2013.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Rio’s commuters welcome contactless Visa application
    March 6, 2019
    Transit authorities could soon be seeing the benefits of contactless payments – without having to replace expensive turnstiles or terminals. That, at least, is what Visa is suggesting as the company launches its own secure access model (SAM), which is set to be put into service in Brazil. Metro Rio will be the first transit operator to launch contactless payments using the Visa SAM in late April. Visa and Planeta Informatica say the new technology “makes it easy for transit organisations and operators to
    Read More
  • Conduent sails along in north Italian lakes
    July 18, 2025
    Firm's EMV solution is one of the first for boat transportation in Italy
    Read More
  • Travel times halve for tolling converts
    August 5, 2013
    The Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver is a prime example of how the latest ITS systems enable new infrastructures to be built and paid for while still providing additional user benefits. Vancouver has 2.2 million inhabitants and, like so many major cities, is divided into two by a river, the Frazer river. This combination makes Vancouver the second most congested city in North America and the most congested in Canada. Through the middle of the city runs the Trans-Canadian Highway 1 which crosses the Frazer Riv
    Read More
  • Up to 120 London underground stations to get free wi-fi this year
    March 22, 2012
    Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has confirmed that a contract has been awarded to Virgin Media to provide public access wi-fi at up to 120 underground station platforms at zero cost to the fare or taxpayer. The new service will launch as a free, unlimited service for all tube passengers this summer and will continue to offer free live Transport for London (TfL) travel information via a new online portal after this period. Virgin Media, in partnership with London Underground, will initially introduce wi-
    Read More

Highlighted Content