Dubai: RTA digital channels bring in Dhs3.5bn in 2022

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has revealed that in 2022 the number of transactions, users and revenue streams through its digital channels reflected robust growth.

Mattar Al Tayer, director-general, and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA said: “In 2022, RTA recorded 814 million digital transactions up from 676 million in 2021, reflecting a robust growth rate of 20 per cent. In addition, revenues in 2022 totalled Dhs3.5bn, an increase of 10 per cent from the preceding year. The number of registered users increased by 30 per cent to 1.3 million users, while, the number of in-app transactions increased by 197 per cent to 3.7 million transactions.”

Al Tayer added: “The adoption of agility management techniques in digitisation projects, contributed to achieving these positive results. It is attributed to departmental communication, swift adaptation to technology trends, and a host of aspiring targets set. The S’hail app was used to plan over 20 million public transport journeys representing a 174 per cent rise compared to 2021. In addition, when comparing the last two years the number of app users increased by 73 per cent.”

Digital offerings launched by RTA

The authority offers digital services, which were further highlighted by the launch of smart apps and new services and features through various channels in 2022. An example of this is the ‘Vehicle Purchase and Sale’ service, which enables customers to conduct purchases or sales without being physically present.

Several enhancements to parking services have also been introduced, including the option to pay parking fees using Apple Pay, which has seen more than 2.2 million transactions since its introduction. For increased customer transparency, improvements including notifying customers of free parking days during holidays, were launched.

Additionally, RTA launched a feature that allows users to instantly access their vehicle registration cards for virtual displays upon request by adding vehicle registration information to the “Apple Pass” wallet.

The authority made its first venture into using artificial intelligence technologies with the launch of Mahboub Chatbot in 2018.

It serves as one of the primary platforms for delivering services across multiple digital channels, including smart apps, its website, and WhatsApp. It provides customers with 364 services and features.

In 2022, Mahboub carried out over two million conversations, with the most popular being the payment of parking fees via WhatsApp, saving customers the costs of a text message. Additionally, the platform offers services like renewing driver’s licenses and vehicle registration enabling direct delivery requests of new registration cards to customers.

The authority is eager to keep enhancing its digital interfaces through better strategies and key projects such as RTA’s unified app that aims to deliver all of RTA’s services via a single, consolidated application.

Upgrading the smart kiosks, which entails offering 26 services via 30 smart kiosks is another significant project in the works as well as revamping the Mahboub Chatbot by leveraging generative artificial intelligence technologies.

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of #RTA revealed that in 2022 compared with 2021 the number of transactionshttps://t.co/6pqh6VIL3f pic.twitter.com/UHEn7poHBv

— RTA (@rta_dubai) July 9, 2023

Also read: Here’s how Dubai’s RTA will transition to zero-emission operations by 2050

In other news, RTA recently launched the ‘Golden Chance’ initiative, paving the way for expatriates holding a driver’s licence from non-exempt countries to obtain a UAE driving licence without attending driving classes.

The new ‘Golden Chance‘ initiative is aimed at streamlining the process of acquiring a driving license for eligible applicants. RTA said applications for new driving licences through the new service can be done through its website or by visiting the nearest driving institute in the city.

The authority said the initiative includes a knowledge test and only a one-time road test service. It allows students to obtain a UAE driver’s licence without having to take any theoretical/practical training.