Complaints against taxis in Dubai drop by 86%

dubai — There has been an 86 per cent drop in the number of complaints against taxi drivers in Dubai from 2016 to 2018, a top official has revealed.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said: “This drop reflects the scale of efforts made by taxi operators in Dubai towards educating drivers about the applicable laws and the cleanliness of vehicles. It is important to continue improving the level of services offered to taxi riders, including the use of smart and modern means to address their needs, particularly as the leadership is working on transforming Dubai into a smart city that brings happiness to residents and visitors.”

Al Tayer made these remarks during a meeting with heads and representatives of taxi franchise companies in Dubai: Cars Taxi, National Taxi, Metro Taxi, Arabia Taxi and the Dubai Taxi Corporation.

“We have to continue improving the taxi service as it is vital for the daily mobility of people. Last

year, taxis lifted about 175 million riders in Dubai,” said Al Tayer.

The RTA recently endorsed a “package of initiatives” to increase drivers’ satisfaction and raise the appeal of the taxis sector to “talented drivers”, Al Tayer said. “The RTA has upgraded the training and qualification programmes and opened a smart centre for training drivers of taxis and on-demand limousines.

“The taxi sector is experiencing a quantum shift with the operation of the e-hail taxi company in conjunction with Careem. The company is expected to improve efficiency by increasing accessibility of taxis and reducing the expected time of arrival of the taxi.”