4,850 Dubai cabs fitted with smart meters
dubai — The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has started the installation of a smart meter system for taxis in Dubai, which has optical sensors, updated maps, POS (point of sale) devices for easier payment, and ‘Aman’ (safety) system to monitor the speed.
The RTA’s public transport agency has completed the installation of 4,850 devices by the end of June 2017, and the number will rise to 7,850 by December 2017. The entire taxi fleet, comprising 10,550 vehicles, will be fitted with smart meters by the end of June 2018. The cost of the entire project is Dh68.8 million.
Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA, stressed the RTA’s keenness to “continue upgrading taxi services with smart systems and latest technologies in line with transforming Dubai into a smart city”.
Features of the smart taximeter include the integration with the Dubai geographic addressing system (Makani), and the automated calculation of toll tariff (Salik) when passing under virtual toll gates in the system without interference on the part of the cab driver. The smart meter also has updated maps for the entire city, rendering easy access to the destinations required.
Moreover, it has the feature of displaying an ‘out of service’ screen to allow for a 90-minute flexible break for drivers per shift. The smart meter is linked with optical sensors to detect the boarding of a customer lest the cab driver forgets to turn on the meter. angel@khaleejtimes.com