RTA buses
Pictures used for illustrative purposes. Image Credit: RTA

Dubai: Planning to hop on a bus for a quick ride to work or for personal purposes? If so, you should be aware that chewing gum, smoking, failing to present your bus card or a ticket can land you with a fine. These are just a few examples, but violating public transportation rules can lead to a fine ranging from Dh100 to Dh500.

To raise awareness about the rules and etiquette commuters should follow, Abu Dhabi’s transport authority – Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) took to their official social media channels to explain the penalties for some of the most frequent violations observed in Abu Dhabi buses.

Abu Dhabi: Bus violations and their fines

Here are the fines for some of the most frequent violations by public bus users in Abu Dhabi, as per ITC Abu Dhabi:

· Carrying flammable items: Dh100
· Carrying sharp items: Dh100
· Causing inconvenience or behaving in an uncivilised manner: Dh500
· Failure to pay the bus fare: Dh200
· Trying to sell the Hafilat card (the public transportation smart card for Abu Dhabi): Dh500
· Using priority seats or sitting in designated areas for People of Determination and other special cases: Dh100
· Eating, chewing gum or drinking: Dh200
· Smoking: Dh200
· Trying to carry a bicycle into a bus that does not have a bicycle space: Dh200

What is the Hafilat card?
Hafilat is a smart card that allows public bus users to pay for bus fares in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Hafilat card automatically deducts the fare ride when it is inserted and scanned at entrances and exits of public buses. The system calculates and deducts the value of your trip fare from the amount stored in the card.

There are two types of Hafilat cards: an anonymous and basic card and a personalised card identified with the user’s name and ID number.

Dubai: Bus violations and their fines

If you are a Dubai resident, and use the public bus often, here are the violations and their fines you should be aware of, as per RTA’s official website – rta.gove.ae

· Using public transport modes, facilities and services or entering / existing fare zones without paying the due fare: Dh200
· Failure to present a Nol Card upon request: Dh200
· Using a third party card: Dh200
· Using an expired card: Dh200
· Using an invalid card: Dh500
· Using a fake card: Dh200
· Selling Nol cards without prior permit from RTA : Dh500
· Destroying, sabotaging or tampering with the systems, tools or seats of the public transport modes: Dh200
· Spitting, littering, doing any act that may contaminate public transport modes, facilities and services: Dh100
· Causing inconvenience to users of public transport modes, facilities and services in any way whatever: Dh200
· Smoking inside public transport modes, facilities and services: Dh200
· Taking hazardous materials inside public transport modes, facilities and services including weapons, sharp materials or inflammable: Dh200
· Taking alcohol within public transport modes, facilities and services: Dh200
· Selling goods and commodities inside public transport modes, facilities and services or promoting the same through any type of advertisement or propaganda: Dh200
· Opening public buses’ door or leaving it open during the movement between stations or during parking: Dh100
· Entering or sitting in places allocated for specific people inside the bus. (ex. female areas): Dh100
· Carrying or using materials or equipment which may annoy other passengers or may endanger their safety: Dh100
· Sleeping in bus shelters or in undesignated places: Dh300
· Acting in a way that may cause a public transport driver to lose attention or obstructing his vision while driving: Dh200
· Standing or sitting on part of public transport modes, facilities and services that is not allocated for passenger use: Dh100
· Eating and drinking in a prohibited places: Dh100