Visa and the Transport Authority – Government of Ajman (TA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition 2022 to implement open-loop EMV technology to Ajman Bus that will allow passengers to pay for their ride using their everyday contactless Visa cards or devices and achieve smart mobility in the city of Ajman.
Under the MOU, and in light of Visa’s global initiative to improve the transit payment experience, implementation of open-loop EMV technology would make the passenger experience seamless and reduce travel time by eliminating the need to stand in line to purchase tickets or top up their ticket. Visa will also work with Transport Authority – Government of Ajman to enhance the existing experience on the Masaar card by leveraging Visa technology to enable acceptance of Masaar cards at non-transit merchants.
Commenting on the MOU signing, Dr Saeeda Jaffar, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for GCC, said: “Visa is delighted to work with the Transport Authority – Government of Ajman to drive the adoption of digital payments in transport, especially as we see the entire UAE moving towards a cashless economy. As social distancing and low-touch payments become the new norm, Visa’s open-loop transit model has seen great results around the world. Already helping to power over 450 live projects globally we are looking forward to bringing our expertise on contactless payments and urban mobility to this partnership. By providing people with secure, faster and more convenient ways to pay for their transport we hope to co-create the future of seamless transportation in Ajman and across the UAE.”
Visa’s urban mobility solutions such as the “Visa Known Fare Transit” model, the “Mobility & Transport Transaction” model, and the “Visa Ready for Transit” model are catalysing the transformation of mass transit globally by reducing infrastructure costs (ticket counters and vending machines) and improving the overall customer experience to drive ridership and revenue growth.
Ms Rasha Al Shamsi, Transport Authority – Government of Ajman Acting Director General, said: “UAE under its leadership has been keeping the pace with development and innovation, until it has become one the most prominent countries, developing and prospering in many fields. We aim to introduce the smart and safe payment solution to the users of the public transport and enhance the digital economy by encouraging the public to use the modern payment methods, believing in the continuous development of services and adding value to our customers, we will work with Visa to extend the benefits of current ATAs Masaar Transit Card.”
As governments in the UAE have accelerated their digitisation efforts, the implementation of contactless payments is becoming a necessity across multiple merchant segments including public and private transportation. Therefore, Visa intends to share best practices with TA through knowledge-sharing workshops to share experience on delivering smart mobility solutions.
