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HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) expressed satisfaction over the indicator of drop in the number of customer complaints amongst taxi riders in Dubai by 86% between 2016 and 2018.
“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 & 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,” said Al Tayer.
Al Tayer made these remarks during a meeting with heads and representatives of taxi franchise companies in Dubai namely Cars Taxi, National Taxi, Metro Taxi, Arabia Taxi and the Dubai Taxi Corporation. The meeting was held in the presence of Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of Public Transport Agency.
At the start of the gathering, Al Tayer welcomed attendees and expressed appreciation to the efforts of taxi operators towards realising the ambitions of the RTA in offering quality services to taxi riders.
“Under its wise leadership, the UAE in general and Dubai, in particular, are carving a high profile in the tourist roadmap and the global economy in terms of stability, advanced infrastructure and quality services.
“The Government’s drive calls for the provision of best-in-class services for the happiness of citizens, residents and visitors. We have to continue improving the taxi service as it is vital for the daily mobility of people. Improving the service is a basic demand for realising the targeted growth of the city and supporting tourism. Last year, taxis lifted about 175 million riders in Dubai,” added Al Tayer.
Drivers Satisfaction
“RTA has recently endorsed a package of initiatives to increase drivers’ satisfaction and raise the appeal of the taxis sector to talented drivers who have the potential of contributing to the quality of services provided. RTA has upgraded the training & qualification programmes and opened a smart centre for training drivers of taxis and on-demand limousines under the supervision of the Public Transport Agency. The step aims to improve the traffic safety level of the taxi service to attain customers happiness,” explained Al Tayer.
“The taxi sector in Dubai is experiencing a quantum shift with the operation of the e-hail taxi company in conjunction with Careem. The Company is expected to stimulate the taxi sector and improve efficiency by improving the accessibility of taxis, booking them online and reducing the expected time of arrival of the taxi. It will also enable clients to pay online through Careem’s smart app, select the appropriate journey route, and review driver and vehicle details. It will be possible to provide the service and driver as well as the First and Last Mile service; which helps public transport riders to reach their final destinations.
“There are multiple improvement prospects for the taxi service in Dubai highlighted by running awareness, training & qualification programmes, and setting strict controls for selecting drivers and implementing them gradually to avoid disrupting the required recruitment rates. Controls include doubling fines on offending drivers, especially as regards careless driving and misconduct,” concluded Al Tayer.
The executives and representatives of taxi franchise companies were delighted with the meeting which familiarised them with the policies of the RTA for improving the taxi sector in future. It also enabled them to exchange views about various issues related to the taxi business.
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