Certain public parks in Dubai are no longer taking Nol cards.
All parks charge the same amount for tickets; the only thing that changes is the method of payment. People who recently visited parks in various parts of Dubai stated that the Nol card system had changed and been eliminated.
This happens months after du declared during GITEX that they will be working together.
The collaboration aims to bring in novel approaches to ticketless entrance, easy identity management, and enhancing IT skills, worker satisfaction, and sustainability in public parks.
"Through our partnership, we aim to eliminate the need for physical tickets and create a cutting-edge identity management system that will redefine the way people access and enjoy public parks,"
stated Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO of Du, at the time.
"In the majority of Dubai parks, the Nol card payment system has been eliminated. This follows the October signing of a partnership agreement between Dubai Municipality and Du."
says Dubai Municipality customer care representative.
The new methodology does have one exception, though. The official stated that the Quranic Park in Dubai still uses the Nol card system for ticketing.
A Deira resident, Tasmiyah A., expressed her surprise when she discovered her local park was no longer accepting Nol cards as a mode of payment.
"I usually go to Mamzar Beach Park on ladies day, making sure all my friends carry their topped- up Nol cards. Last week when I visited, I was surprised that they removed the Nol card system! Instead, we had to buy tickets with a barcode on them that was scanned when entering."
She also saw that the Nol card top-up and balance-checking machines had banners surrounding them, indicating that they were not in use.
Premalatha Shriram, another local, frequents Zabeel Park with her 10-year-old daughter, Akshara Shriram. She lives in Karama. When they discovered the ticketing system, the two went to the park prepared with their Nol cards.
"We purchased the tickets and paid with cash,"
Premalatha remarked. The simple swipe of the Nol card was all it took for her daughter Akshara to realize that the tickets cost Dh5, something she had never noticed previously.
According to a spokesman at Zabeel Park, the modification has been in place since October of last year.
How are tickets now issued?
Tickets for parks can now be purchased with cash or credit cards. Then, these are scanned at the devices that were once the Nol card machines, which are positioned at the park entry.
Visitors can also use their phones to make smart payments at some parks, such as Safa Park. Guests can access the park without a ticket by using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
Not every park has implemented this smart system yet, suggesting that it is still being implemented.
The Dubai Municipality mandated in 2017 that park visitors possess a Nol card in order to gain entry. For Dh25, anyone without one have to buy a green Nol card from the park. In addition to using Nol programs on their smartphones to enter certain parks, people could enter other parks via special gates designed to detect Nol cards.
For many locals, who would have their Nol cards ready to visit their favorite parks, this new system means the end of an era.
News Source: Khaleej Times
