The Nol card, which is the preferred method of payment for the majority of RTA services, should be obtained before using the bus, metro, or tram for the first time in Dubai. However, which Nol card should you purchase, and how do you do that? Here is everything you require to know.
Different types of Nol cards
The following Nol card choices are available to users of public transportation through Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA):
1. Nol Red ticket
The red ticket is a paper card that is thrown away and costs Dh2. This is ideal for one-time use. It’s vital to keep in mind, though, that you can only select one mode of transportation at a time with this ticket: either the bus, Metro, or tram.
It is good for 10 one-way travels or 90 days.
To apply for a Red ticket, no documentation is required.
2. Nol Silver card
The silver card is good for five years and costs Dh25 (of which Dh19 can be used for services). To apply for a silver card, no documentation is required.
The Silver Nol card can be used to pay for non-transport-related services like parking or grocery shopping at establishments that have collaborated with RTA and accept Nol card payments, as well as all public transportation services provided by RTA, including water taxis and abras.
3. Nol Gold card
Users of the Gold card have access to the Gold Class compartments on the Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram. You must pay Dh25 to receive the card (with Dh19 that can be spent on services). Additionally, it has a five-year validity period and is accepted for all forms of payment, including the Nol Silver card and transportation.
To apply for the Gold card, no documentation is required.
4. Nol Blue card
This personalized card must be activated and associated with your Emirates ID. At the Metro ticket office, you must pay Dh70 and present your Emirates ID and photo (with Dh20 that can be spent on services). Additionally, you can apply for the card online at www.rta.ae on the RTA website.
You must apply for the Nol Blue card if you want to request concessions on public transportation because you are a person of determination or a senior citizen.
How can one get a Nol card?
You can apply for the Nol card at any Metro ticket station, at a ticket machine, or online at rta.ae, depending on your desired card.
Charges
Once you have the Nol card, using RTA’s public transportation services is simple. Regardless of the method of transportation utilized, the RTA pricing system integrates bus, Metro, and tram rides and solely takes total distance traveled into account.
The cost is determined by how many “zones” you have traveled through. Seven zones make up the RTA’s public transportation system. So long as you remain within the same zone, switching from a Metro journey to a bus and then a tram will be counted as a single trip. Just be sure it takes less than 30 minutes to use the next means of transportation! Even if they are inside the same zone, journeys taken after 30 minutes will be charged as separate trips.
This is the maximum amount you might be charged for utilizing public transportation, depending on the card you select:
Within one zone – Dh3-Dh6
Two adjacent zones – Dh5-Dh10
More than two zones – Dh7.5-Dh10
Children under five, seniors, hard-working individuals, and students travel for free.
Use the Nol card for buying groceries, and fast food
Additionally, you can buy anything with your Nol card, such as goods from a store or burgers from a fast food joint. To enable customers to use their Nol card as a debit card, where you can make electronic payments and the amount is withdrawn from your e-purse, RTA has partnered with a number of restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals, gasoline stations, and government offices.