Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced plans to install an automated passenger counting (APC) system in its new fleet of buses.

The APC system will be implemented in the 636 new buses that are set to be deployed by the RTA this year and next year. This includes 40 electric buses, 146 articulated and double-decker buses for high-density areas, and 450 city service buses.

The APC system works by recording the actual number of passengers entering and exiting the buses and comparing that data to the number of commuters who have tapped their No cards to pay the fare. This will allow the RTA to identify instances of fare evasion.

“Commuters caught dodging bus fares will get a fine of Dh200,” said Saeed Al Balushi, director of passenger transport activities monitoring at RTA’s Public Transport Agency.

In addition to the APC system, the new buses will also be equipped with a driver behavior monitoring system called “Raqeeb” to improve driver conduct and enhance passenger safety. The buses will also feature a driver identity authentication system linked to the operating system.

The RTA currently operates a fleet of 1,518 buses across 119 internal lines, including 35 lines linking to metro stations, 12 intercity lines, 62 internal lines and 8 fast lines.

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The bus network covers 82 percent of the urban areas in Dubai and transports about 369,248 passengers per day.

The introduction of the APC system is part of the RTA’s efforts to provide efficient and reliable public transportation services to residents and visitors in Dubai.