Dubai: Dubai’s smart vehicle rental service has been used for more than 60,000 journeys since the launch of the two apps facilitating the service in January.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) revealed this after a brainstorming workshop it held to examine the experiences of smart vehicle rental service users through RTAs apps named “eKar” and “Udrive.”
“Since its launch in January this year, the smart car rental service has achieved high demand rates where it had so far executed 60,277 journeys; which tantamount to 49,139 rental hours within seven months only after the launch of the “eKar” and “Udrive” apps,” Adel Shakri, Director of Transportation Systems at RTA Public Transport Agency said in a press release on Friday.
He noted that the RTA is not only providing advanced services to customers, but also conducting seminars and questionnaires to assess the extent to which its initiatives meet the needs of customers.
“It is particularly relevant to the smart car rental service; which forms part of the Smart City initiative of Dubai Government. We are therefore striving to ensure that the service is compatible with the requirements of the “Smart City” aimed to bring happiness to Dubai residences,” he said.
The brainstorming workshop attracted a bunch of smart rental service users from different nationalities, who were invited through the technology means they use to request the service. The RTA said it has identified their experience, ideas, aspirations and observations about the new initiative for improving the service.
The smart service is carried out without human intervention in taking or handing over the car. The RTA has provided 45 locations in Dubai to avail the service, five of them within the metro stations in Al Rashidiya, Union, BurJuman, Business Bay, and Ibn Battuta, said Shakri.
“The smart car rental service has multiple benefits, including free fuel at Eppco and Enoc stations, free insurance, and free RTA parking,” he pointed out.
The user pays rental rate of 50 fils per minute when the vehicle is parked anywhere in Dubai, and 40 fils per minute when the vehicle is returned to the point of use. Potential users need to register in the two apps to avail the service, by entering details of ID card, driving licence, credit card and a photograph of the user. The user has to show ID card to verify that he or she is the person registered with the system. Dubai visitors have to enter their passport details, entry visa details, driving licence and credit card details.
“The user has to key in the Personal Identification Number in the device fitted to the car. Upon finishing the use of the vehicle, the case will be signed-off through the two apps, and the bill will be forwarded to the customer online.
