Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will soon roll out new buses equipped with Automated Passenger Counting (APC) systems to curb fare evasion. The APC system records actual passenger numbers and matches them against the automated fare collection system.
Currently, passengers board buses in good faith, tapping their Nol cards upon entry and exit. However, some passengers have skipped this, resulting in fare evasion. Commuters caught dodging bus fares face a fine of Dh200. In a six-day inspection conducted in last April, 1,193 commuters were caught dodging bus fares.
The APC system will be installed in 636 new buses, including 40 electric buses, 146 articulated and double-decker buses for high-density areas and 450 city service buses. The system will monitor and count passengers as they board and exit, providing real-time data to compare against fare payments.
Most buses will also feature Raqeeb, a driver behaviour monitoring system and driver identity authentication linked to the operating system, enhancing passenger safety and improving driver conduct.
The APC system will help the RTA better understand passenger demand and optimize bus deployment.