Dubai sees surge in digital nol card top-ups as RTA upgrades public transport services

Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has reported a significant shift towards digital payment channels for nol card top-ups, following a series of enhancements aimed at improving customer experience and operational efficiency across Dubai’s public transport network.

As part of its ongoing efforts to boost public transport satisfaction, the RTA introduced several initiatives, including digital ticket vending and top-up machines, public awareness campaigns, and increased minimum top-up amounts at ticket vending machines and metro station sales offices.

Commuters were encouraged to use various digital platforms such as the RTA website, smart ticket machines, and mobile payment apps — leading to a marked increase in digital transactions during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

These efforts led to a 28% decline in total top-up transactions made via traditional ticket vending machines in H1 2025, while digital top-ups through these machines rose by 20% year-on-year.

At ticket sales offices, cash-based nol card top-ups dropped by 37%, largely due to the increased minimum top-up requirement.

Digital top-up transactions via sales offices also saw a slight decrease of 6%, as more users switched to self-service machines and online channels.

In total, top-up transactions at ticket sales offices decreased by 26% in H1 2025 compared to the same period last year.

The public’s growing preference for digital top-ups has helped reduce congestion at ticketing points and cut down operational costs linked to manual cash handling.

The move also resulted in an 80% drop in technical breakdowns in ticket vending machines — highlighting improved system reliability.

The RTA says these enhancements reflect its commitment to customer happiness and its strategy to advance Dubai’s position as a smart, sustainable city powered by digital innovation in transport services.