An automated passenger counting (APC) system will be instaled in new buses that will be soon rolled out by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to curb fare evasion. The system works by recording actual passenger numbers and matching them against the automated fare collection.
Currently, the bus system in Dubai lets the passengers enter the bus in good faith that they will tap their Nol cards upon entering and exiting the bus. However, there have been instances where passengers have skipped doing it. Commuters in Dubai caught dodging bus fares will get a fine of Dh200.
The APC system will be installed in the 636 new buses that will be deployed this year and next year, including 40 electric buses, 146 articulated and double-decker buses for high-density areas and 450 city service buses.
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Most of the buses will also be equipped with Raqeeb, a driver behaviour monitoring system that will help improve driver conduct and enhance passenger safety. There will also be a driver identity authentication that will be linked to the operating system.
How APC works
The APC system will monitor and count passengers as they get on and off the bus. The counting sensors will detect the passengers instantly and accurately as they pass through the doorway. The solution can provide real-time data to compare the number of people in the bus to the number of commuters who tapped their Nol cards and paid the fare.
Aside from checking fare collection, the counting solution can also be used to know passenger demand or how buses should be deployed on which lines and at which hours.
Fare dodgers caught
In April last year, a total of 1,193 commuters were caught dodging bus fares over the course of a six-day inspection conducted by the RTA.
Saeed Al Balushi, director of passenger transport activities monitoring at RTA’s Public Transport Agency, earlier said the RTA has launched year-round inspection campaigns in several spots across Dubai to detect violations. He urged commuters to pay the relevant fare using Nol cards. “This measure will ensure the optimal use of RTA’s means of transportation, particularly buses. It will also support RTA’s efforts to provide services that cater to the needs of UAE residents, especially Dubai, and visitors from all over the world,” he added.
RTA has a fleet of 1,518 buses, operating a bus network of 119 internal lines, including 35 lines linking to metro stations, 12 intercity lines to transport passengers to other emirates, 62 internal lines and 8 fast lines. The bus network covers 82 per cent of the urban areas in Dubai, and transports about 369,248 passengers per day.