DUBAI: Waiting for a bus will never be the same as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) rolls out its smart bus stops—air-conditioned, with free Wi-Fi, mobile charging, top-ups and bill payment and a convenience store, where you can buy some of your favorite Pinoy products and where you can soon get a copy of The Filipino Times, the leading weekly Filipino newspaper in the UAE.
Upon the directives of His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, RTA has recently opened the first of 100 smart shelters set to be rolled out across the city. Through this new initiative, commuters can now grab a bite, charge their mobile phones, pay utility and telecom bills, buy Nol cards, replenish mobile phone loads, even send money home and book air tickets—as they wait for the next bus.
Everyone can also grab free copies of The Filipino Times as they go.
The smart, air-conditioned bus stops, the first of which was recently inaugurated in Jumeirah, is part of the UAE government’s efforts
“to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world by offering 24-hour services to the public,” said RTA Director General Mattar Al Tayer, who also is chairman of the agency’s board of executive directors.
Officials said the first 25 of the smart bus stops will be ready by end of this month; the remaining 75 were slated to be operational by the end of the year.
The free Wi-Fi will be available only for a limited period to ensure that people would not be using the kiosks just to get connectivity.
“As the average waiting time at a bus stop is usually not more than 10 to 15 minutes, we have decided to limit the free access for 20 minutes only. This will also ensure that people are not occupying the bus shelter just to access Wi-Fi,” said Mohammad Al Ali, Director of Buses at RTA’s Public Transport Agency.
