Nol-to-Nol top-up on the cards

Dubai - RTA is all set to use the near field communication (NFC) technology in mobile phones to help users top up their Nol card credit.

You will soon be able to transfer credit on your Nol cards to a friend's card. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is all set to use the near field communication (NFC) technology in mobile phones to help users top up their Nol card credit.
"For example, if you have zero balance in your Nol card, but your friend has Dh300 in his ... you can transfer any amount into your card from your friend's card using the RTA public transport authority (PTA) application," said Khalid Al Awadhi, director of automated fare collection at the RTA.
The facility will be made available on the app in the first quarter of 2016, according to Al Awadhi. The RTA revealed the new technology on the opening day of the Gulf Traffic Exhibition and Conference in Dubai on Monday.
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The credit can be transferred using the NFC technology on the PTA app. The technology is currently only available on Android and Blackberry platforms.
Evolved from the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, an NFC chip operates as one part of a wireless link. Once it's activated by another chip, small amounts of data can be transferred between the two devices when held a few centimetres from each other. The NFC requires very little power and is said to be far more power-efficient than other wireless communication technologies.
"First the source card is scanned, followed by the second card receiving the credit," he said. Users can key in the money that needs to be transferred into the second Nol card on the app.
The facility is beneficial for users who do not have access to Nol top-ups on their smart phone. It becomes particularly easier for bus users since there are no vending kiosks near bus stops.
"We are looking at a Q1 2016 release as of now ... Along with the Nol-to-Nol top-up, users can also use their mobile phones to pay for RTA services," said Al Awadhi.
The RTA is also investing and carrying out research into Nol wearables, where users can tap their wristwatch at payment stalls in buses, Metros, trams, and taxis. "We are also developing (the) ... use of smart bands and other devices ... not just wristwatches," he added.
The wearables will be released by mid-2016.
50% road accidents involve cyclists and pedestrians
Almost 50 per cent of road accidents involve cyclists and pedestrians, an expert said on the opening day of the Gulf Traffic Exhibition and Conference in Dubai on Monday.
Jodie Mairs, principal consultant - road safety specialist at AECOM Middle East, said: "Forty-six per cent of road accident deaths are that of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and public transport users."
She said this category of road users must be specially protected in the Middle East. The climate in the UAE can be "prohibitive for vulnerable road users", she added.
A top official from Saudi Arabia said several road safety programmes undertaken in the country's Eastern Province helped reduce traffic deaths by 4.4 per cent since 2005.
Speaking at a session called 'A positive step in behaviour change initiatives', Sultan Zahrani, secretary-general for the Eastern Province traffic safety council, said: "The establishment of an accident information system has helped us track serious and fatal accidents. Educating schoolchildren as young as 5 to 10 years is the best long-term investment to avoid road deaths."
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com