Dubai public transport payments to be made with mobile phones

Virtual Nol card to be available for use on the metro before Expo 2020 begins

Commuters will be able to pay with their phones instead of a Nol card. Courtesy: RTA

Commuters in Dubai will be able to pay for their journeys using their mobile phones from next year.

Used as an alternative to the traditional Nol card, the virtual Nol card will be available for use on the Dubai Metro before  Expo 2020 begins in October.

Once they download the card, users will simply tap their phones on electronic gates at metro stations to enter and exit.

Commuters will also be able to purchase a new card or transfer their existing balance to the digital version.

The virtual card will be linked to their bank account, enabling users to top up on the go with amounts that range from Dh50 to Dh1,000.

“We want to make residents and visitors happy,” Mohammed Al Khayat, director of automated fare collection at the Roads and Transport Authority, said.

“This is a simple-to-use feature which creates convenience for passengers and people can download the card from overseas too,” he said.

Mr Al Khayat said the virtual card should help reduce congestion at metro stations too.

Following the initial roll-out next year, passengers will also be able to use it to pay their fares on other modes of transport that include the Dubai Tram and RTA buses.

They will also be able to use it to enter public parks and pay their parking fees, among other things.

Mr Al Khayat said the initiative will boost the government's drive to make Dubai the smartest city in the world.