RTA to launch new bundle of smart services during Gitex

Commuters will be able to pre-plan their trips and see real-time information about road traffic conditions through a new bundle of smart services being launched by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) at Gitex 2014.

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, announced the launch of the new bundle of smart services for customers via smart phones enabling them to complete their transactions without visiting customer service centres.

The new service includes the Smart Roads app which enables commuters to pre-plan their trips, and provides real-time information about road traffic conditions. Another is the Smart Parking app which enables users to identify vacant parking spaces on Shaikh Zayed Road in the direction from Dubai to Abu Dhabi as a tentative first phase.

“The Smart Roads app is also fitted with a prompt reporting feature that provides real-time update about traffic conditions, jams, accidents, among other surprises, so that users can avoid them,” said Al Tayer.

The Smart Parking app allows commuters to screen a specific area to identify the number of free parking slots and calculate the distance between the vehicle and the nearest vacant parking space. It also enables users to locate vacant parking spaces in the RTA’s multi-level parking facilities together with The Dubai Mall parking lots. The application is updated via sensors fitted in the parking spaces that automatically feed the system with information about the condition of parking spaces in a given area.

The new services to be launched during Gitex include Nol Smart Posters which uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and enables the public pay their mass transit fare via smart phones.

A new service also enables vehicle owners to replace their current number plates with number plates that display the new Dubai Brand. The number plate replacement service, which is optional, will be available via a smart phone app and RTA’s website. The new plates will be delivered by courier companies or can be collected by customers from specific the RTA customer service centres.

A new updated Wojhati app, to be launched, has been fitted with a virtual reality feature that enables users to automatically locate and access public bus stops by transferring the data about the distance between the user’s location and the stop on the smart phone camera. The RTA will also showcase Google Glass which provides a new window to roads information in Dubai as users will be able to obtain detailed information about their intended destinations along with the shortest routes to them, bus stops, metro stations, and the distance and time needed to reach various destinations.

The user can also activate the display of transport information on Google Maps in order to identify the nearest bus route in case the user wishes to book a hotel or restaurant. The RTA will also showcase the Smart Taxi app that enables customers to book taxi cabs and directly track their movement in a real-time environment and the Smart Salik app offers customers access to multiple services.

“The RTA currently provides about 53 services via smart apps and the plan is to undertake 22 initiatives or projects out of a total of 100 initiatives contributed by Dubai departments and authorities. About 200 smart services via smart phones will be launched by the end of 2015 out of a total 1,000 smart services at the government departments level,” said Al Tayer. -news@khaleejtimes.com