Would you like to take a free public bus to Abu Dhabi? The only thing you will need to do to help the environment and save money is to recycle some empty plastic water bottles.
The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), the transportation authority for Abu Dhabi, started the “Points for Plastic Bus Tariff” campaign in March of this year with the goal of encouraging recycling in the Emirate. The effort is a partnership between ITC, the Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center – Tadweer, the waste sector regulator, and the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD).
Here is everything you need to know about the project.
Where can one deposit the plastic bottles?
ITC claims that the programme encourages people who utilize public transportation to earn free bus rides by returning empty plastic bottles to a deposit machine set up at Abu Dhabi’s Central Bus Station. As the points are added to your customized Hafilat bus cards, you can use them to pay for bus fares.
Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station
How are the points calculated?
ITC calculates the points for a single plastic water bottle in the following way:
- A single point will be awarded for each small bottle (600 ml or less).
- Bottles that are 600 ml or larger will receive two extra points.
Ten fils are equal to one point. So, for instance, you would need to earn 10 points to receive a reduction of Dh1.
Also Read: Learn how to use Sharjah’s bus card, ‘Sayer’
How can one use the points for bus rides?
Your Hafilat bus card receives the points you earn. You must scan your Hafilat bus card at the entrance and exit doors in order to board and leave a bus. Your points on your card will be deducted first by the ITC automated payment system, and then the remaining bus fare will be deducted from the cash balance on your card.
ITC started the first phase in March 2022 in the Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station and afterward extended it to other regions of the Emirate.
