Success for Middle East Integrated Payment

Last week the RTA announced that they have issued 5 million Nol cards since their inception in 2009.  The success of the integrated payment card suggests a bright future for regional intelligent transport.

Whilst new technologies always carry risk with them:

Will there be customer uptake?

Will the promised technology deliver?

Is there longevity in the service?

And the list goes on. . .

There appears to have been a resounding success with the Nol Card, which is available in four different types and enable travel on all forms of the Dubai public transport system, metro, bus, water taxis and paid parking.

The success of the Nol card can be attributed to a number of factors, however for me, as a Dubai public transport user, the balance between the cost and the ease of use is probably the most important driving factor in me choosing to take the metro over jumping in a taxi.

The ease of tapping in and out on my prepaid card for less than two Dirhams a journey saves me checking if I have the right about of small bills to pay for a taxi and waiting on the side of the road flagging down a car at the 6pm rush.

Driving customer uptake and promoting awareness of the service is key to its success and the RTA Dubai have certainly been successful in kick-starting the integrated payment solution. As the GCC’s transport infrastructure grows and new passenger services emerge, it is imperative to deal with future roll-out, integration and implementation.