Dubai: Soon, pay for public transport through facial recognition – all you need to know about RTA’s upcoming services

Dubai: Soon, you won’t have to carry a nol card, ticket, cash or card to use public transportation in Dubai.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) plans to enable facial recognition technology as a form of payment for public transportation fares. During the ongoing GITEX Global 2023, being held at Dubai World Trade Centre, RTA announced several new services, which have been created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and metaverse technologies.

So, here are five online services RTA plans to introduce soon.

1. Access your digital nol card on your phone

RTA will be introducing digital nol cards for Samsung phones, through the ‘nol Pay’ app. Previously, the virtual nol card was only compatible with the ‘nol Pay’ app on Huawei phones.

The ‘nol Pay’ app, which is available for Apple, Android, and Huawei devices, is the official app for managing your nol card from RTA, here are the services you can access on the app:

• Easily check nol card information.
• Top-up your nol card.
• Access your ‘nol Plus’ loyalty programme
• Check the nearest merchant location that accepts payment through your nol card. The nol card can be used to pay for multiple services, not just public transportation. 
• Review and redeem your nol points as a top-up or discount shopping vouchers.
• Manage all cards linked to your account (Blocking a card, reporting a lost card or cancel an existing card).

2. Pay for your public transportation fares in Dubai with facial recognition

According to the RTA, commuters will soon be able to make Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, buses, taxis and marine transport fare payments through facial recognition technology.

Commuters will not be required to use tickets, nol cards, cash or credit cards. Smart gates will be installed in the Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, buses and taxis, which will operate by registering the user and recognising the face using cameras and analysing it in 3D. Once the bio data is matched with the user, the amount will be deducted from the account. The exact date when the new service will come into effect has not yet been announced.

3. Special taxi service for school children in Dubai

The ‘In Safe Hands’ service by the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), allows parents to pre-book special taxis online for school runs in Dubai.

You can book the taxi through the DTC app, available on the Apple, Android and Huawei app stores. Parents can also designate a guardian on the DTC taxi to accompany their children to school.

Here are some of the services parents can access on the app:

• Book daily, weekly or monthly trips through the DTC app to transport your children to and from school
• Children under the age of 13 require a guardian, who have to provide their Emirates ID details on the app, and the information has to be verified by the driver.
• The service fees can be paid online through credit or debit card or through the ‘Dubai Taxi’ wallet.

4. Search for parking online in advance

Before you go out, you can check for empty parking spaces available near your destination on the ‘Dubai Drive’ app.

The ‘Search for Parking’ online service is already available on the app, however RTA is planning to expand the service to include the following features:
• Parking for People of Determination
• Green parking for electric vehicles
• Multi-storey parking spaces
• Car wash services

5. Transfer ownership of plate number online

Another service being launched by RTA during GITEX Global is the service for transferring ownership of vehicle number plates via the ‘Dubai Drive’ app.

The app allows customers to complete the selling procedures using their UAE Pass app and eliminates the need to visit any of RTA’s service centres.

The services allows the customer to complete the transaction via the smart app, complete the sales procedures securely and sign the sales contract using the e-signature.

If you plan on selling your vehicle, currently you can conduct the process online on the ‘Dubai Drive’ app. However, you still need to visit a service centre to hand over the number plate to RTA to complete the process. To know more, click here.