Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced completing the upgrade of 165 out of the 262 Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) across metro stations in the emirate.

The initiative is aimed at enhancing user experience by upgrading devices to enable digital payment transactions for recharging nol card balance and return change in the form of paper or coin currency.

RTA Director of Rail Operations Hassan Al Mutawa, said the renovated TVMs, with stylish design and distinct colours to help customers spot them easily at each station, will reduce transaction processing time by 40 percent.

As part of the upgrades made to the TVMs at the Red and Green Lines Dubai Metro stations, the machines can handle both banknotes and coins, which meets customers’ needs.

Riders can also now complete the nol card recharging process much faster, which reduces waiting time at TVMs.

Al Mutawa said to encourage customers to adopt digital payments, the authority also plans to increase the current 20 percent segment of nol users adopting digital methods in the Dubai Metro.

This will reduce the logistic services associated with cash handling, he said.