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Dr. Yousef Mohammed Al Ali, CEO of RTA Public Transport Agency, said, “The modification of flag-down rates was intended to leverage the service on offer to the public by deploying as many taxicabs as possible and ensuring that the service reaches out to customers in a timely manner, especially during morning & evening peak hours.
“This decision is taken after the RTA has commissioned a number of field studies and surveys and benchmarking with a number of the world’s most developed cities in all areas, including taxis transport sector. The step is intended to overcome challenges that cabbies face during daily operations, stamp out all problems impeding the delivery of better services to the public and taxi users, and implement the best practices of the industry,” added Al Ali. It is worth mentioning that the taxi fare applicable in Dubai is the cheapest among some of the world’s most developed cities such as London, New York, Amsterdam, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo and other well-known metropolises and cities.
“The new flag-down rate will range from AED 3 to AED 5 for the direct trip from roads during the morning peak hours from 07 am to 10 am, and during evening peak hours from 04:00 pm to 08:00 pm. The flag-down rate of orders from the Booking & Dispatch Center will also be modified from AED 6 to AED 8 during off-peak hours; while during morning & evening peak hours, the flag-down rate will range from AED 10 to AED 12. This modification is applicable from Saturday to Wednesday, while peak hours start form 04:00 pm to 12:00 midnight on Thursdays and Fridays,” continued Al Ali.
“The decision applies to the Dubai taxi vehicles and taxis operated by other franchise companies under the umbrella of the RTA. The upgrade of taxi meters operating in Dubai will be completed within three weeks starting from December 1,” he added.
The CEO of Public Transport Agency noted that this step comes as part of the efforts made to upgrade the daily practices and performance of cabdrivers since the RTA views them as ambassadors dealing with passengers and strategic partners. In addition to implementing plans & programs for upgrading taxi service to make it characterized by luxury and entertainment, and aligned with the highest standards in this field, besides activating cabbies’ role in advancing taxi services in Dubai by supporting and assisting them to increase their income. The decision will significantly contribute to putting an end to the phenomenon of refusing to pick up passengers, winning public satisfaction and meeting the growing demand for this private service, which is classified as private transport featured by comfort, fun and privacy.
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