RTA puts Metro fee structure

RTA puts Metro fee structure on track

By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter
Published: June 22, 2009, 11:36

Dubai: Fares for Dubai Metro will range from a minimum of Dh1.80 to a maximum of Dh6.50 for a single journey.
Read in-depth on Dubai Metro

The minimum Metro fare for a short trip for up to three kilometres will be Dh1.80 if a passenger is using a prepaid card. It will cost Dh2 if the passenger uses a standard single journey paper ticket.

The maximum fare for a single journey will be Dh6.50 when using a paper ticket and Dh5.80 when using the card.

The fares will be valid for trains, public buses and the water buses for a single journey. This means a passenger using the metro can continue his or her trip on buses without paying any additional fare.

The Roads and Transport Authority has provided various fare options to passengers including daily and monthly passes.

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The daily pass will cost Dh14 for unlimited trips on the metro and public buses all over the city. The monthly passes range from Dh100 to Dh270.

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Dubai RTA announced the metro fares yesterday at a press conference at the new RTA headquarters.

"We will not be making any profits out of this fare structure as we want maximum people to use public transport," said Al Tayer. "We have made the fares affordable for all because we want to encourage our citizens, residents and visitors to use mass transit means," he added.

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council has approved the fare structures after endorsing the order governing mass transit fares in Dubai.

The fare can be paid by means of Unified Electronic Fare Card (UAFC) known as "Nol Card" (an Arabic word meaning "fare" or "cost of using transport") which is an electronic "pay-as-you-go" system introduced by the RTA.

The new fare structure will be implemented with the launch of the Red Line of the Dubai Metro on September 9 this year.

Children under five years of age will travel free while students and senior citizens will get special discounts. A monthly pass for students will cost Dh170 for unlimited trips while a pass for senior citizens for a month will cost Dh200.

The unified prepaid Nol cards will be available at the stations and vending machines, petrol stations and stores all over the city.

Al Tayer said that parking for metro users would be free at the three designated parking lots. These include lots at Al Rashidiya, Al Qusias and Jumeirah Islands Stations. Parking fee is set to be Dh10 per hour and Dh50 per day for those not using the Metro.

"It is to avoid misuse of these parking lots," he said.

Ramadan Abdullah, Director of the Rail Operations Department at the RTA, said that there would be four types of Nol card - Nol Silver, Nol Blue, Nol Gold Card, and Nol Red Ticket.

"The cards will be available at ticketing booths and ticket vending machines at all Dubai Metro stations, bus stations, RTA Customer Service Centres and at RTA authorised sales agents. Nol cards can be topped up and the fare will automatically be deducted depending on the use," he added.

The RTA has divided the city into five mobility zones to effectively implement the fare structure (see map and graphic).

How it works: Mobility zones
The RTA has divided the city into five mobility zones to effectively implement the fare structure. A passenger has to pay more if he travels in more zones.
A commuter has to complete his journey within 90 minutes if he is using a single journey ticket for a short trip with minimum fare for up to three kilometres. He will be allowed one transfer between two modes of transport - train and bus or bus and train - within 30 minutes.
If a pas senger holds a ticket for one zone or multiple zones, he will have to complete his journey within 180 minutes and he will be allowed three transfers between the different modes of transport.
If a user wants to travel on Dubai Metro and then take a bus to reach a certain destination, the user has to take the bus within 30 minutes to avoid charges for the second fare. If he takes the bus within 30 minutes, it will be considered a single journey.

What do you think of the new fares? Is this a good incentive for you to use the Metro on a regular basis?

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