The transport authority wants to screen sentiments for more accurate feedback.

Knowing exactly what the customer wants is something retailers and service providers have been trying to do for ages, which is why firms as well as public agencies have been making the most of social media to gather insights about consumer behaviour in an age of growing competition. Malls in Dubai are even offering the same resources to brick and mortar stores, in a bid to help them keep up with e-commerce platforms using the digital space to interact with buyers, while smart cameras are observing visitors at shops to gauge consumer preferences.

Accelerated digitisation and rise of hybrid spaces in the UAE, has prompted government agencies as well as local bodies in the country to rely on smart control centres that can predict traffic snarls, robots that issue licences, and AI for mapping bus routes. Continuing this trend of using connectivity and data for delivering better service to Dubai's residents, the city's road transport authority has started taking stock of how people feel, through social media and sensors at its locations.

Information sourced via online apps as well as RTA's service centres, is analysed to track the emotions of customers, in order to understand the level of satisfaction for coming up with informed decisions to deliver enhanced service. Residents of the smart city will probably get to experience a more personalised approach when they use digital channels to clear doubts or for resolving issues, thanks to this approach adopted by Dubai's RTA.

The automated system deployed by RTA records text from user comments on social media, before using the data for natural language processing that helps the organisation decode needs of its customers. Emotional scores are registered on the basis of posts related to each topic, and geographical location is also taken into account.

Adoption of such a mechanism brings pro level precision to the functioning of RTA's smart apps, enabling it to achieve high customer happiness ratings.