Nol Woes...

<< DXB Internaitonal Airport

Bad wifi connection as I took the train home. The signal was fading in and out, and each time out my login was cut.

It takes a couple of minutes or so to login each time, so that was as good as having no wifi at all. I suspect there was an issue with the wifi on that particular train.

I took a new bus route today--new for me, that is. The X35, I believe, from the Greens into town. X is for express so it was a fast ride in. I met a compatriot of sorts named Zia. Like me he is commuting daily on metro and bus. He said he had studied the network carefully in advance to work out his route, which saves him time, but not money. My commute is just the reverse, saving me money, but not time.

I had a bit of luck with the Nol card today. Being short on credits and presuming I would just incur a negative balance I just got on and off the bus even though the reader indicated insufficient funds. Later, however, I found nothing had been deducted from the card or registered for that segment. It was luck that I was not refused boarding by the driver, as it seems some in similar situations have been. This relates to some serious Nol woes... read more in the last section.

The 4 pm metro was quite crowded. I stood until a couple of stations further down. If I compare the atmosphere today to the opening days of the metro last week, the sense of thrill among riders seems to have subsided.

But if I compare it to the metro commuting experience in other cities where the metro is more established, Dubai-ites seem to be rather silently overjoyed at this new mode of transport. Everyone on board has a generally mild, calm, relaxed disposition. There aren't all the mobile cameras snapping pictures or the giddy racing about from windows to seats to aisles, as on the first couple of days. But one can still sense an inner joy and contentedness.

The Name Game

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What exactly are the names of the 10 metro stations which are open?

1. Rashidiya
2. Dubai International Terminal 3 (too long!)
3. Deira City Centre
4. Al Rigga (with about 3 "rrr"s)
5. Union (short and sweet)
6. Khalid Bin al Waleed (aka Bur Juman)
7. Al Jafiliya (a rather unfamiliar word to non-Arabic speakers)
8. Financial Centre (sounding somewhat pompous)
9. Mall of the Emirates (notorious already for its crowds and train malfunction issues)
10. Nakheel Harbour & Tower (named after two things which don't and may never exist).

Nol Card Woes

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I think I'm getting the hang of using these cards. I've had no more mysterious disappearance of credits, which had been mostly due to my own inexperience and my being unaware with regard to its proper use. The big discovery for me was that metro and bus fares are identical, irrespective of the mode of transport you take.

Metro train running past Dubai Marina in new Dubai.

The problem it seems is that while the RTA has been running campaigns for months and even years promoting the metro, they have basically sprung the Nol card for bus use on the public without any forewarning. It would appear that there are issues of both the public not knowing how to use the cards properly and malfunction of card reading machines. The result is that Nol card purchasers are losing lots of money and getting very angry.

See the public reaction here and be amazed!

There are other issues too. Commuters can't find places to top up their Nol cards or buy new ones. If taking the metro only, things seem to be going much smoother. It is the bus commuters who have been caught completely unawares. I would hope the RTA would rectify this issue quickly and I would suggest they take the approach that Abu Dhabi did when introducing its new public bus system. They allowed riders to ride at no charge for at least half a year. The RTA should do the same, at least until they have taken the time to educate the public, got all the card readers on buses working properly and improved the distribution of cards and top up facilities.

IS ANYONE AT THE RTA LISTENING?

Metro Community

This was mentioned on the radio this morning--the supposition that you have a sense of community forming around the metro commute.

It's a logical presumption. You may or may not interact with those around you, but I'm sure when one encounters familiar faces, there will be more interaction.

There is also the opportunity to interact with the metro system staff, and there is quite a large number at present. On my commute thus far I meet first the parking attendants and various maintenance workers, cleaning staff, customer assistants (who stand in the ticket lobby assisting passengers), ticket sales and information counter staff, security personnel and finally the cabin crew. I was informed today that there are 2 cabin crew personnel and one security officer on my train. There is no driver, of course.

There you have it--quite a varied assortment, even more so when you take into account the variety of passengers. I can't say I've done too well on my interpersonal efforts. I shall make more of an attempt to at least greet staff. A few of my encounters have involved wrangling over ticketing issues--already discussed in previous posts.

Wifi continues to be a bit of a bane for me. I am quite certain that upload ability is severely limited. At best one might upload a text only post to his/her blog and send off text only emails. Attempting to transfer even a small picture file of less than 100k can mean waiting several minutes, by which time you'll probably need to disembark.

My other issue with the Wifi is the cost. At 10 dhs for 60 minutes it takes you back to the days of dial up when you had to disconnect once your page loaded and do your reading offline. As it stands on the metro you'll have your 60 minutes and 10 dhs melt away in no time. This is not what wifi is supposed to be about. It needs to be continuous or it loses half its value. It is as though you had to go and switch on and off the power supply in your home when using electrical appliances in order to avoid being overcharged.

Light passenger traffic on the train this morning. Even fewer than yesterday. It's 9:30, roughly the same time as my travel yesterday.

Time to sign off, now to get off at my approaching stop.

Failed attempt. The time it took to log in and then attempt to upload my post w/o picture was almost 5 minutes by which time I reached my stop. This is very poor performance for a wifi service.

PS: Complaint/Suggestion

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I have just logged a complaint through the RTA helpline 8009090 (very handy, good service) about the poor upload capacity and high charge for wifi. I must say, the CS agents are very responsive when taking any suggestions. I will follow up here with any response. If anyone else has concerns on these two issues, please login your complaint as well.

Commuting Success

Metro traffic still light this morning. One friendly face now on my third day of commuting--security guard Zahir at Rashidiya station. I think I chatted with him on the 10th when everybody excitedly took the early morning ride on the first metro train to depart.

<< The interior of those lustrous double-decker buses.

It's a hazy morning as usual as I pass the airport on my right, with views of SZR towers in the distance on the left. I can't make out the Burj Dubai today due the haze, despite it otherwise being a bright and sunny day.

In my carriage there are only a handful of other riders now at 9:30 a.m. I picked up a new Nol card for a colleague today--wanted to pay by credit card. Unfortunately credit card payment isn't up and running yet, whether for new cards or topping up. The vending machines are operating on a cash only basis, and I was informed that any change provided would only be in coins. So, still some issues to work out there.

For anyone considering starting their commute on the Metro, there is no time better than now. With light usage at present one can enjoy a quiet, comfortable ride. Of course, for many people the issue is connecting with home and work when boarding or exiting the metro.

I am about to find out after I exit the station whether I have finally cracked the connection riddle. If all goes right, I'll exit at the Financial Center station and walk a hundred meters or so to a nearby bus stop, where I'll be able to take the 98E bus to the office.

(Deira City Center, btw, the first underground station and the third stop along the line is the first where I've seen a good number of people to board. There are still lots of empty seats in the carriage, however.)

SZR with Business Bay towers in the background. >>

The fact is, there is a way if there is a will, but I'm sure most people don't have the patience or motivation to find the way. It is cynical to fault the RTA, I feel, when a lot of effort is being made to make things as convenient and usable as possible. No one and no organization is perfect, after all.

(Now at Khalid Bin al Waleed station the carriage has finally filled up with all seats taken.)

On Disembarkation...

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So, the test today is whether I will finally be successful with the bus.

• Correction from yesterday: My mistake, the bus stop I needed does have the 98E bus indicated--I had checked the wrong stop.
  
• The correct stop is about 500 meters from the station, much closer to the preceding metro stop, which is not yet open. So, it is a bit of a walk, but no loss to me--all in a day's exercise.
  
• Feeder buses are coming by on target it seems, separated by 5 to 10 minutes. That should make metro commuting quite easy once all stations are open.
  
• The 98E has also arrived in a timely manner, with only 15 minutes or so between this one and the preceding bus.

With that I pronounce my efforts to commute via the metro, finally, a success. I'll be at my office in about 10 minutes of boarding the bus, making the entire metro/bus transfer about 65 minutes. An hour in transit is acceptable, and once the station nearest my office opens I should save another 15 or 20 minutes.

<< View of the Greens from top level of double decker.

That said, the metro isn't a timesaver for me. Were I to continue my drive from Ajman rather than parking at Rashidiya station I would need only an additional 20-30 minutes, rather than the hour needed for train and bus. It won't be a timesaver for anyone not living either directly on a Metro line or a feeder bus route.

But it is a money saver, and it allows one to do something while commuting--that is, if a seat is available. My total fair for train and bus each way is 2.3 dirham (about 62 US cents). The cost for me to drive with petrol and regular maintenance far exceeds this.

System Check No.2

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Now that I've worked out the daily work commute, a second test needed is on how reliable the system is for making appointments. I have set myself the task of getting from my office to another--neither being directly on the metro or the feeder lines. I had to do extensive research with Wojathi. The RTA's online journey planner, as it is called, enables you to plan your journey via public transport in precise detail. In this case for example, I'm told what bus to take at what times, how far to walk (time and distance) between connections, and of course, metro timing. It'a a bus-train-bus trip with a kilometer or more of walking in between. Let's see how it goes.

Results in and test a FAILURE!

The bus part is the problem. While I waited at MOE and watched all the Feeder buses pass by, my normal bus just never showed up. The normally 20-minute trip by car took about 2 hrs and that with finally giving up and taking a taxi.

Glitches...

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Passing through one of the yet to be opened stations. >>

There are bound to be more of these while metro services are still new. This one concerns the wifi connection. I went for the 1-hr, 60-day option, but in just two days it has expired. Did I already use up 1 hour? I'm on the train 15 min to and fro each day, so were I logged in the full time I guess it's plausible. Anyway, I'll sign up again and monitor the time more carefully.

One more thing. While the signal is excellent, upload times appear to be very slow, while incoming data is quite fast.

I thought my card was once again being mischarged for my journeys but a check at the info station showed all was fine. I guess half of the problem with the cards is that passengers can't monitor their usage independently, so I suspect it will lead to a lot of us thinking incorrectly that we were cheated.

Third time the charm?

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<< The blogger himself, enjoying a metro ride.

Back on the metro now for the third journey of the day, 7 pm and traveling from MOE to Rashidiya. Passenger load is light. A few people standing in some carriages, however, there are still open seats. Let's see if the train gets fuller or emptier as we pass through the city center. It's Ramadan anyway, so that helps thin out the traffic a bit.

Commuting

I'm commuting for the second day running, starting from Rashidiya station at about 9 a.m. There are very few passengers on the train and very few cars parked in the 2700 capacity car park. That suggests that commuters, whether from Sharjah or this side of Dubai, have yet to take up the option to park and ride.

<< a Saturday evening on the metro

For me, it's worth it to take the metro. It is nice to have the easy park facility and it saves me 30km in driving daily. Due to high maintenance costs for running up too much mileage, my car needs the break.

It doesn't, however, save me any time. None of the 10 stations open are near enough to my work place to exit the station and either walk or take a feeder bus. Also the slowest part of my commute--the drive from Ajman through Sharjah--takes most of the time.

It is an hour plus drive, followed by maybe 15-20 minutes with the metro and then the hassle of the bus--not being a feeder bus, wait and travel times are unpredictable.

Yesterday, as mentioned in the previous post, I discovered that the RTA now has a unified fare structure in place so bus journeys cost the same as metro journeys, as determined by distance and zones. So, bus riders may now face a maximum 5.8 dhs fare as opposed to the formerly flat 2 dhs fare. Just yesterday one colleague commented, "Why take the metro when the bus is only 2 dhs?" Well, besides the long waits and circuitous routes of the buses, one now has to pay the same fare.

Blame for recent train delays have been placed on passenger misuse of emergency mechanisms! >>

Granted, there are still only 10 stations and the metro only follows one line through the city, but we're getting there. I'm a metro believer!

It's time to conclude this post as I get near my station. It's very comfortable blogging from a nearly empty metro carriage with a good wireless connection. With only 10 or 15 minutes on the train per ride, I have discovered the best payment option is the 1 hr, 10 dhs credit card plan which is good for up to 60 days.

P.S. More bus woes...

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On exiting the metro station I once again faced the challenge of getting the bus I needed. The basic issue this time was bus stops not correctly indicating which buses stop there. The huge Trade Center R/A has 3 or 4 bus stops along its circumference. As it turns out the crazy 98E bus stops at two of these, but only one is indicated and which one to choose depends on the direction of the bus, which is, of course, not obvious as it is a roundabout.

Basically I'm on day 4 of trying to discover which buses I need to connect efficiently with the metro. The fact is, the buses I need are there, the proper routes exist, but after 4 days of consulting bus maps online, checking postings at bus stops, speaking with RTA reps and speaking with bus drivers, other passengers and colleagues, I still haven't got it worked out.

Tune in again tomorrow. Hopefully the 5th day will be the charm!

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<< Photographic murals inside Bur Juman station. The station is like a museum cast in 5-star hotel opulence, while at the same time remaining chic and modern. The images are historic and the blue iridescent lighting profoundly calming. See previous post.

First Live Report (Update)

It's been a Dubai metro day, for me and I'm sure for a lot of other excited people in Dubai.

On the morning train, all was fresh, bright and new and rather emotional. By end of day I was able to experience the metro in a calmer, more objective way. This, then, is what I have observed.

• The metro is popular--the trains got more and more crowded as evening wore on. It was standing room only on trains passing Khalid Bin Al Waleed (Bur Juman) station and Union station by 7:30 pm. At 8 pm Rashidiya station was jam packed with the ticket lobby full to capacity with people lining up for tickets. This most certainly were the Sharjah crowds, getting their chance to experience the metro after the work day.
  
• The novelty factor is huge--judging by the make up of the crowds, the enthusiasm, the overheard conversations, novelty has to be the biggest driving factor for the moment, and it has only just begun. I predict it will peak over the next couple of weeks.
  
• Without a doubt, it's impressive--if the intent was to turn heads, they have succeeded. There is an overall sleekness and elegance to the whole metro system. More than the trains, it is the stations. Each one is different, sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes quite dramatically. I will need to devote several future posts to the stations.
  
• But, 10 stations won't really cut it--the whole feeder bus thing should do the trick but not with the 10 stations alone. It's a good start, but once the novelty factor wears off, the practicality won't be there until the remaining 19 stations come on line.
  
• The class system--gold/women & kids--is rather awkward--the fact is all the carriages are nice, and if day one is any indication of things, it seems there is absolutely no reason why all of us can't assemble happily in the same carriages. To separate the women just seems antiquated and artificial in the modern, progressive context set by the metro overall, and the gold class thing would appear to have no function at all except for self-aggrandizement. I was in the women & children's cab on one ride and didn't even realize it, nor did anyone else seem to, and by mistake I also ended up in the gold class. I realized it, however, when I sat in the comfy seat, but it seemed so un-metro like to be bedded in comfy cushions. It's quite incongruent.
  
• Hiccups?--sure there were some: very few chairs anywhere in the stations, except for at street level where one can wait for a feeder bus (that is quite nice, btw); not enough ticket/card machines in stations to handle any sort of crowd; feeder bus numbers and arrival times given but no route maps; smallish route maps in the trains themselves which are difficult to read when not standing near them; not very many hand restraints or bars for standing passengers on trains to hold onto; no racks on trains for temporary placement of hand baggage (under the seats would be nice for seated pax)--that's about all I come up with as there are so many more things to be impressed with.

That is my more measured, less emotional account of a first day on the Metro.

Next to come are my station images, with this taster of Khalid Bin Al Waleed (Bur Juman) station:

A magnificent work of design and functionality

The Wi-fi Question

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What I heard repeatedly was wi-fi on the trains and in the stations. I never did hear that it was going to be free, so I wasn't surprised to find that one would need an account of some sort to log in. I was, however, surprised that it was Du and not Etisalat or better yet a choice of the two. As a Du mobile user I luckily had a scratch card with me--but 20 dh for 3 hours, to be used within only 3 days is steep.

I presume all new Dubai residents with Du ADSL accounts will be able to log in with their existing accounts. But, I suppose the majority of Dubai are still Etisalat customers. So there is sure to be some measure of chagrin.

Here is what one finds when they attempt to login and after they've paid for their connection.


So, there it is. I can't see so many people having the opportunity to wi-fi anyway as you will most likely not have a seat on the trains or in the stations, and for many travel/wait time will be very short. That said, I'll be sure to have my lap top with me and open whenever I'm there!