Biometric payments for public transit coming to Dubai, Moscow system marks 80M trips

As biometric payments makes its way into Dubai’s commuter operations, Moscow passengers have made over 80 million trips using the city public transit system’s facial recognition payment method in its first two years of operation.

Dubai to use facial recognition to streamline fare payments

In Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) showcased several projects using facial recognition in transit at Gitex Global, a tech and startup exhibition, last week at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The RTA presented a new system that allows commuters to pay for fares on the Dubai Metro, tram, buses, and taxis by passing through a biometric gate.

Users must first register their faces and a payment method. The gate system is then able to verify their faces with a 3D camera and deduct the fare from their accounts.

Another service that the RTA showcased is a car ownership transfer using an app. Customers can complete the sale without going to a service center by using the UAE PASS digital ID and signing the contract digitally.

Moscow Transport completes 80M trips using biometric payments

This follows as other areas in the world see results from recently implemented facial authentication payment systems.

As the Moscow biometric fare payment system reaches its second anniversary, passengers have used the system to complete over 80 million trips. Each weekday, passengers use the payment option around 140,000 times, according to an announcement from the transport operator.

The biometric payment system is available at all metro stations, Moscow Central Circle, Aeroexpress and river transport with plans to launch the service on the Moscow Central Diameters as well as trams and buses. The city is one of the first in the world to launch biometric payments on this large of a scale.

Passengers can opt to use the biometric system or another payment method. To use the system, travelers must download the Metro Moscow app on Google Play or the App store. A trip that uses the biometric system with a linked Mir card costs less than one paid through traditional means until the end of 2023.

“The facial recognition payment system is a completely Russian development. It has a banking level of protection, and all data is encrypted,” says Moscow Transport Deputy Mayor Maksim Liksutov.

Article Topics

biometric payments  |  biometrics  |  Dubai  |  facial authentication  |  Russia  |  transportation