Dubai Metro, Tram: How to travel for half price

Mark the date – 11/11/14. That’s November 11, 2014. This day onwards, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) new packages for daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual subscription to the unified fare card (Nol card) will come into force.

The packages will enable users of the Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram and public buses to get discounts on fares. The discount could go up to 47 per cent, the RTA said in a media statement on Tuesday.

RTA also announced that it is expanding the categories benefiting from the existing 50 per cent discount on fares to include, besides students, beneficiaries of social security (social aid recipients) and seniors above 60 years, be it citizens or residents. Earlier, such a discount was restricted to citizens only.

The new packages will be activated along with the start of operations of the Dubai Tram, on November 11, 2014.

“Launching the new packages has been undertaken following elaborate field surveys to probe the views and preferences of mass transit users, particularly users of the Dubai Metro,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA.

“Based on these studies and surveys and in response to the needs of individual and corporate users, a variety of packages have been designed to serve a wide spectrum of users of public transport who constitute more than 90 per cent of public transport ridership,” he said.

“These new packages are viewed as the optimal option for those using mass transit modes regularly, and the one-year package is considered an ideal option for businesses and entities that provide transport via public transport to employees.”

Subscription to the packages is divided into three levels; the first enables users of public transit modes (Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram and public buses) to move within one zone, the second enables them to move between two zones, and the third enables riders to move around all zones of the emirate.

The new packages offer discounts up to 47 per cent on some categories and the amount of discount rises with the increase of the duration of the subscription and the number of zones covered.

For example, the daily fare will be Dh7.30 for the annual subscriber who uses public transit to move around all zones of the emirate, and it will be Dh3.65 for students, seniors and social benefit receivers.

The daily fare will be Dh4.84 for the annual subscriber moving between two zones, and it will be Dh2.42 for students, seniors and social benefit receivers. The daily fare will be Dh2.90 for the annual subscriber moving within one zone, and it will be Dh1.45 for students, seniors and social benefit receivers.

Package fare

The cost of the annual subscription will be Dh1,060 for to the Silver Class – Level 1 (one zone), Dh1,770 for Level 2 (two zones), and Dh2,670 for Level 3 (all zones).

Subscription to the quarterly package will cost Dh330 for the first level, Dh550 for the second level, and Dh830 for the third level. Subscription to the monthly package will cost Dh140 for level 1; Dh230 for level 2; and Dh350 for level 3.

Subscription to the weekly package will cost Dh50 for level 1; Dh80 for level 2; and Dh110 for level 3. Daily subscription will cost Dh20 and will enable the user to travel all over the emirate whereas students, seniors and social benefit receivers will get a 50 per cent discount on all packages, except for the daily package.

As for the Gold Class, annual subscription will cost Dh2,120 for level 1; Dh3,540 for level 2, and Dh5,340 for level 3. Quarterly subscription will cost Dh660 for level 1; Dh1,100 for level 2; and Dh1,660 for level 3. Monthly subscription will cost Dh280 for level 1; Dh460 for level 2; and Dh700 for level 3. Weekly subscription will cost Dh100 for level 1; Dh160 for level 2; and Dh220 for level 3. Subscription to the daily package will cost Dh40.

Competitive fare

Comparative studies and benchmarks showed that public transit fares in Dubai are the least among corresponding fares in other cosmopolitan cities such as London, Paris, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Chicago. For example the daily fare amounts to Dh118 in London, Dh51 in Paris, and Dh44 in New Zealand whereas it is only Dh20 in Dubai.

Monthly fare in Dubai is 79 per cent less than the prevailing fare in London as it amounts to Dh350 in Dubai but it is as much as Dh1,714 in London, Dh1,328 in New Zealand, Dh1,088 in the Netherlands, and Dh543 in Paris. As for the annual subscription, it amounts to Dh17,850 in London, Dh10,879 in the Netherlands, and Dh5,620 in Paris whereas it is Dh2,670 in Dubai.
 
Obtaining the package

The RTA has set a simple process and multiple channels for subscription to various packages of Nol card categories summarised as follows:

•             Selecting the type of Nol card to be acquired (Blue, Gold, Silver or Red Ticket)

•             Subscribers to Personalised Nol cards have to select their applicable categories (students, seniors, disabled, ordinary users) to avail  the discounts set for each category.

•             Once the type of card is selected, the user has to select the type of subscription (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually)

•             The customer will then select the travel zone needed (level 1, level 2, level 3)

•             Once all details are completed and the subscription amount is paid, the operator will then process the subscription of the card.

•             The operator will activate the subscription within five days from the date of purchase, or else, the card will be activated automatically after five days.

•             The customer can then use the card for traveling on the Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram and public buses.
 

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