Source: www.rta.ae
The smart apps cover five sectors: Drivers and Vehicles Smartphone App, Smart Parking, Business Sector Services, Salik Smart App, and Public Transport App.
Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled a new package of smart applications enabling customers to complete transactions via smartphones, thus negating the need to visit customer service centers.
This move is taken in implementation of the initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to rank Dubai as the smartest city world-wide by providing services 24/7 throughout the year to the public via mobile phones.
A press conference to this effect was held by the RTA in The Address Hotel, Downtown Dubai, in the presence of scores of RTA CEOs and directors to announce the launch of smart applications and upload the new smartphones website.
Al Tayer said: “Launching these applications comes in implementation of the initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into the smartest city of the world within three years. It also falls in line with the directives of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the Custodian of the Smart City Initiative. The smart city envisaged by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum assigns top priority to the comfort and well-being of the population, and provides services efficiently through modern and sophisticated technologies. Thus the smart mobility is considered one of the key pillars of smart cities.”
“When planning & implementing projects, the RTA assigned priority to the comfort & welfare of Dubai populace and is keen on utilizing smart technologies to provide services to customers. Immediately after the announcement of the initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to transform Dubai into a Smart City, the RTA launched the Dubai Smart City Program, which consists of three sub-programs, namely Corporate Smart Program, Smart Transport Program and Smart Traffic and Roads Program, besides a short and long term road map to implement these programs in a way that realizes the objectives of the smart city, most notably ‘Bringing Happiness to People.’ The plan includes implementing a total of 22 out of 100 initiatives & projects at the level of the Dubai Government departments & entities, launching at least 200 out of 1000 smartphone services by the end of 2015 at the level of the Dubai Government departments & entities, of which smart government initiatives represent an integral part. By launching these applications, the RTA, endeavors to make Dubai the smartest city in the world.”
53 services
HE Mattar Al Tayer said, “The new smart applications cover five sectors: Drivers & Vehicles Smartphone App, which enables customers to complete various driver & vehicle-related licensing transactions; Smart Parking App in Dubai emirate; Business Sector Services App, which enables businessmen to review tenders, request for placing ads, rent metro outlets, among others; Salik Smart App, which enables customers to inquire, top up balance, and display trips; and the Public Transport App. By launching these new applications, the total RTA smart services tally grows to 53 offered via eight smart Apps.”
“Broadening the implementation of smart applications & services contributes to realizing many objectives highlighted by developing & enhancing the role of mass transit systems, leveraging the efficiency of traffic systems, and revolutionizing the methods of performing operations & processing transactions such that it becomes possible to process many transactions and make shopping without having to travel any distance, thanks to e-services and e-commerce. The new smart services also contribute to the role played by social media networks in selecting the transit modes used by the public, besides impacting the geographical distribution of the population by increasing the density around major mass transit stations.
University students
For his part, Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of Licensing Agency cum Head of the team supervising the implementation of the integrated road map to migrate to the smart government team, said, “The key smart services which will be launched are the vehicle ownership renewal service, driver license renewal, payment of fines, issuance of vehicles/drivers-related certificates, recharging Nol cards, checking Nol card balance, in addition to launching the second generation of the m-Parking service which enables motorists to pay their parking permit via text messages or credit cards. The smart services also include various Salik services (such as the balance inquiry, trips display and vehicles inquiry) in addition to business sector services (such as requesting ads and requesting renting retail outlets), all of which serve customers, be it UAE nationals, residents, tourists, special needs, companies and institutions, in addition to all users of roads and public transport means.
“We were keen on ensuring that these smart applications, which feature expressive designs, work effectively & accurately, therefore we invited scores of university undergrads to participate in designing & testing these applications, and explored their views and ideas in this regard. This step aims at diffusing the culture of engaging customers to create high quality smart services,” added Bahrozyan.
Services package
Highlighting the features and advantages of the new smart applications, Ahmed Bahrozyan said, “The Drivers & Vehicles Smart Application is the fastest means to provide real-time data, be it in the form of texts, numbers, images, signatures or sites through the GPS system with high efficiency. It is the fastest methods to provide real-time data including text, figures, images, signatures and locations with high efficiency using the GPS system. The smart app automatically synchronizes data and stores it in the database so that users can access that data offline. It also reduces the time and effort taken in retrieving the service besides being user-friendly, therefore customers can quickly adapt with the new service through the application on display. The smart apps offer real-time customer data checking by scanning the barcode, a unique feature unavailable in many smart apps. The apps avail to customers 10 services namely, issuing replacement of lost or damaged driver’s license; applying for driving license; issuing driver-related certificates (such as traffic file in Dubai traffic system), issuing driving experience certificate, referring the customer to medical examination to verify his ability to drive, applying for replacement of lost or damaged vehicles ownership, applying for vehicle ownership renewal, applying for vehicle ownership renewal with the number plate change, applying for purchasing a distinguished number, inquiring about offences and paying fines by providing the offence number, driver license number, plate number, or traffic file number; applying for vehicle ownership or non-ownership certificate or vehicle clearance certificate; and applying for issuing replacement of lost or damaged distinguished number plate ownership certificate.”
Vehicle Parking
As far as Vehicle Parking app is concerned, Bahrozyan said, “This app provides 9 services: automatically identifying the area code and displaying a map illustrating paid parking zones in Dubai emirate with the possibility to locate the vacant parking slot to identify the area code therein; paying parking fees via credit cards without paying or deducting the extra service fees through text messages fees; paying parking fees for vehicles licensed in other emirates without the need to register in the service; providing an easily accessible record of previously used e-tickets; and sending automatic notifications to customers to inform them about the availability of free parking spaces during holidays.”
Salik
For his part, Abdullah Al Bastaki said, Salik smart application avails 9 services to customers namely: balance inquiry; displaying Salik trips of a certain vehicle for a specific period; viewing all Salik offences or displaying unpaid trips, which will change into fines in case of insufficient balance; inquiring about vehicles via Salik tag number or vehicle number plate or displaying all vehicles in Salik account; creating New Salik Electronic Account so that users can manage their Salik accounts, add vehicles, top up their accounts and view their trips & offences log; recharging Salik account using ePay credit card; recharging Salik Account by entering Salik Top up card number, eVoucher or alternatively using the smartphone camera to take a snapshot of Salik Top up card number, where the system will recognize the characters in the App, read the number and process it automatically; recharging friend’s account using Salik Top up card number or eVoucher; and adding a new vehicle to a registered account, where customers can add a new Salik tag to their existing Salik account.”
NOL
Detailing Nol card smart services, Al Bastaki said, “The public transport application enables customers to check their Nol cards balance; obtain and follow up personalized Nol card application; converting Nol Silver / Gold Cards into Personalized Card to benefit from Nol services and protect their balance; and top up Nol Cards through credit cards.”
Business Services App:
The first phase of Business Services App provides five services; namely: Accessing current and future tenders; reviewing tender procedures; applying for buildings construction & demolition permit; requesting commercials in the Dubai Metro; requesting rental of retail outlets in the metro stations; and the replacement of taxis, school buses and luxury vehicles (Limousines).
Launch
At the end of the conference, HE Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, formally launched the new smart applications along with the RTA new smartphone website. More info
