Instead Of Using Money, You Can Pay Bus Tariffs With Plastic Bottles In Abu Dhabi

Illustration of buses in Abu Dhabi, UAE. (Wikimedia Commons/Ranged Enigma)

Instead of using money, the Abu Dhabi authorities, United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched a general tariff payment program using plastic bottle waste.

Launched to help environmental conservation programs, while at the same time getting used to people riding public transportation, this program is easy to follow.

People receive points every time they store plastic bottles in automatic recycling machines installed at Abu Dhabi's main bus terminal.

Points are used to get free public bus trips.

Each bottle measuring 600ml or less gets one point, while a larger container or a bottle exceeding 600ml gets two points.

Each point is worth 10fil, so 10 points equals 1 UAE dirham that can be transferred to a Hafilat bus card.

The ITC automatic payment system calculates the rates required for travel, automatically cutting it off the value of the cash stored on the card via a charging machine installed at the entrance and exit of the bus. Bus rates in Abu Dhabi start from 2 dirhams.

About 70,000 plastic bottles have been recycled since the initiative was launched in March, said Ateq Al Mazrouei, acting director of planning at the Integrated Transportation Center.

Al Mazrouei explained the purpose of the "Poin for Plastic: Bus Tariff" initiative.

"The first is to help the environment," he said, launching The National News November 11.

"Second, encouraging public transport users to use buses more often. They must store bottles and get points to use public transportation," he said.

Al Mazrouei said the initiative was in line with the Abu Dhabi Environmental Agency's mission to encourage the recycling culture of single-use plastic bottles.

In September, EAD placed the 'Big Zero' installation across the emirates as a gathering place for people to store single-use plastic bottles.

It also unveiled a challenge called "StACK" for Abu Dhabi schools, to collect and return single-use plastic water bottles.

In June, the emirate imposed a ban on disposable plastic bags with large retailers. Single plastic bags cost 25 files. This policy is designed to stop its use before it is completely banned in two years.

The bus tariff initiative is being piloted at the city's main bus terminal. More engines will be installed in Abu Dhabi based on the results of the trial.

"We encourage people, whether they use public transportation or not, to take part in this initiative because it helps our environment and will help our future," Al Mazrouei said.