Abu Dhabi: From Monday, bus commuters in Abu Dhabi Emirate’s Al Dhafra region will be able to obtain and recharge their bus tickets through an automated payment system, the Department of Transport announced on Sunday.
Eight ticket vending machines, 11 banknote reloading machines and six ticket office machines have been installed across various locations, including Al Sila Bus Station, Ghayathi Bus Station, Ferry Terminal in Jabal Al Dhanna, Al Marfaa Bus Station, Madinat Zayed Bus Station, Ruwais ADNOC Compound Bus Station, Al Ruwais Bus Station and Tarif Bus Station. These machines will dispense and facilitate the use of the Department’s Hafilat smart cards for bus transport.
Saeed Al Hameli, head of buses and water ferries at the Department’s Integrated Transport Centre, said the new automated system will prove convenient for commuters.
“The payment cards provide the feature of adding a certain balance and recharging it, in addition to the possibility of adding other services such as the weekly and monthly passes. These cards enable the bus users to preserve their credit in case of losing the card by issuing a replacement. In addition, users can add their personal information and be eligible to special offers. Cards can be recharged by cash or credit cards using the different machines available,” Al Hameli explained.
This smart card or ticket deducts the fare of the bus trip directly from the cash value stored in a digital wallet known as the T-Purse. The fare is calculated automatically based on the distance of the passenger’s journey from the moment he or she boarded the bus until his or her disembarkation.
