Sharjah Transport’s top up on board facility a hit

Passengers on Sharjah public buses can now purchase and reload their Sayer prepaid card on board, which earlier could be done at only some major bus stations in the emirate.

A senior official at the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority on Saturday announced that the new system, put on trial for month, proved to be a big success.

“The new system has gained popularity among passengers of Sharjah public buses. More than 1,100 Sayer cards have been purchased onboard during the one-month trial period,” said Abdulaziz Al Jarwan, Director of Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority for Transport Affairs. Al Jarwan said the move seeks to save the time, money and effort of the customers. “The Sayer rechargeable card is available in three denominations: Dh45 as minimum charge; Dh90; and Dh180 as maximum charge.”

The card may be purchased for Dh5, which is paid one time only with no extra charges or taxes, he added.

“The balance on the Sayer transport smart card is safe against loss or damage, and the remaining amount can be easily transferred to the new card which is totally free.”

Al Jarwan said the privacy of the information of the card holder is guaranteed because the ID card and the mobile number are used during the registration process for the Sayer card which can be done online at (www.mowasalat.ae).

“Sayer prepaid card, since its inception in June 2010, has attracted thousands of passengers particularly with the 10 per cent discount offered against each trip.”

The new system has been put on trial for one month during which all the required machines have been fixed on all the public buses and the set kiosks at major bus stations.

“The Sayer rechargeable card comes with a pre-loaded amount and the trip tariff is automatically deducted when the card is put on a ticket machine in any public bus.”

The ticket is issued with all the details of the amount charged and the balance available, he explained. “The receipt must be kept till the end of the journey for the inspection purpose.”

Al Jarwan noted that the serial number which appears on the card must be saved for reporting loss of card.

ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com