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 of taxicabs.
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 devices 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 RTA, has reiterated RTA’s keenness to continue upgrading taxi services with smart systems and high technologies in line with transforming Dubai into a smart city.
Features of the smart taximeter include the integration with 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 ‘Out of Service’ screen to allow for a 90-minute flexible break for drivers per shift. It can also display ‘End of Shift’ screen to ensure that the taxi driver will not be hailed within the last 45 minutes of the shift to facilitate the handing over of the vehicle.
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. The system can be linked with POS devices to enable smooth payment and has a ‘Aman’ (safety) system to monitor the speed of taxicabs on internal and external streets.
Meanwhile, the agency has completed the linking of 5,010 taxicabs with the Dubai Geographic Addressing System (Makani) and has executed about 118,000 booking requests through Makani during the first half of this year.
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