Dubai: Taxi passengers in Dubai can now pay their fares via Apple Pay or Samsung Pay, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Sunday.

The new payment methods will be part of a series of payment options available for commuters including cash, credit/debit car as well as Nol payment.

The service is being launched in partnership with Network International as part of the ‘Smart City’ initiative of the Dubai Government.

Taxi riders in Dubai now have more payment options. Some 8,000 taxicabs in the city use the POS technology. Payment via smartphones boosts Dubai's Smart City initiative initiative.

Around 80 per cent of Dubai’s taxi fleet currently offers the new payment facility it will be on board across the entire fleet soon.

Ahmad Hashim Behroozian, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency, said, “The service is aimed to offer taxi riders smooth payment options that raise their satisfaction and happiness. As many as 8,000 taxicabs are now using this POS technology, and we aim to broaden the scope of the service to cover a larger number of taxi users.”

He added that the payment of fare via smartphones serves multiple objectives.

“It concurs with the Smart City initiative of our government, First Strategic Goal (Smart Dubai), Third Strategic Goal (People Happiness), and the Seventh Strategic Goal (RTA Excellence)," said Behroozian.

Raising customers’ satisfaction and offering them smooth customers service experience is also a priority to RTA as it adopts top global standards and cutting-edge technologies in delivering services,” he added.