Need new bus routes in Dubai? RTA wants to know

Dubai - The 'Innovation Bus,' which plies all parts of Dubai, is part of RTA's celebration of Innovation Week to know the demands of its customers and plot the future of transportation.

Do you have suggestions for new bus routes? Then try to catch Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority's (RTA) "Innovation in Motion" bus and give your suggestions. 
The 'Innovation Bus,' which plies all parts of Dubai, is part of RTA's celebration of Innovation Week to know the demands of its customers and plot the future of transportation. 
"The bus goes to different locations in Dubai - this is one way of bringing the RTA to the people," Adel Shakri, RTA director of transportation systems told Khaleej Times on Monday. "We are interacting with our customers to get their feedbacks on our services." 
"We also would like to allow them to design new bus routes based on their needs. They can tell us which routes should be opened. By introducing new routes, we want to improve the customer experience and enhance their happiness," Shakri said. 
Another innovation that the RTA is working on is developing a smart card which is a better improvement of the Nol card. 
"We call this Be-in/Be-Out (BIBO) - but this is still in conceptual stage and we are still developing a proof of concept." 
The smart card will take away the inconvenience from the commuter to tap the Nol card. 
"Once a commuter hops in the bus, the onboard smart fare collection system immediately registers the time of riding and the location of the bus, and processes automatically the fare payment required," Shakri explained. 
Shakri added the public can also benefit from the Wojhati app, a bus planner. 
Although the app currently available only on Android phones, the main feature of the app is to provide live monitoring of the bus. 
"With a touch of a finger you can check whether the bus is on time or delayed and then you can plan your trip accordingly," Shakri said. 
The RTA official also encouraged those who would like to book taxis to use Makani app so the exact location of the passenger can be sent to the driver. Each building has a corresponding Makani number and you can send this to the call center so the taxi driver will know exactly where you are," Shakri explained. 
As part of the Innovation Week, the RTA also opened a 'Future transportation museum' and showcased 3D printing in vehicles.
angel@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai