How Do They Do It?

[Rat Catcher]

Took a few taxis in Dubai and Abu Dhabi while on vacation. 4-5 kilo journey under AED20.00 (c.€5.00) with 4 passengers, physically hailed by concierge or hired at rank - cheaper than Uber/Careem. Cost of living is higher than Dublin and there was always cars available - although August isn't a particularly busy tourism month in those parts on account of the heat and, like Dublin, most drivers are immigrants.

I also noticed Abu Dhabi taxis have their speed constantly monitored which makes for a far safer and more pleasant experience than currently normal in Dublin. One for NTA.

[john m]

Probably subsidised with a basic wage from the state .Taxis are for public transport

[Rat Catcher]

AFAIK they only subsidise fares for disabled passengers. Taxi drivers work for one of two taxi companies in Dubai, at least one of which provides free - paid by Govt - transport for disabled users.Of course they do have a low tax regime and petrol is quite cheap at c.€0.55/litre.

[Rat Catcher]

NTA could learn a lot from the Sheiks, maybe a fact finding mission would be in order?

First thing the car hire people tell you is don't break the rules of the road, running a red light (for example) has a fixed penalty of AED3,000 - c.€750.00.

https://www.government.ae/en/information-and-services/social-affairs/special-needs/transportation-and-parking-

Dubai Taxi Corporation operates taxis to meet the needs of the people of determination 24 hours a day covering all areas of the emirate and driven by well-trained drivers. These vehicles are fitted with special lifts for the wheelchairs, artificial respiratory systems, a wheelchair on board and seats for the companions.

[Shallowhal]

Can they refuse you if you're off your face on drink and drugs?

[Dr. Martin Gooter Bling]

I might be wrong but I think only the imported untermenschen drive taxis in those places for slave wages.
it would be beneath a Dubai head to drive a taxi.

[Octavia1]

I wouldnt call that a holiday...getting a lift off sum poor desperate cnut on a dollar a day living in a hut wit 40 other poor cnuts lying on a concrete floor with no air conditioning...apparently wen they die on the building sites they fuk them into the cement mixer an fossilised them ...
They shud rescue the poor indian immigrants and bring them home and then nuke that shit hole

[silverbullet]

I wouldnt call that a holiday...getting a lift off sum poor desperate cnut on a dollar a day living in a hut wit 40 other poor cnuts lying on a concrete floor with no air conditioning...apparently wen they die on the building sites they fuk them into the cement mixer an fossilised them ...
They shud rescue the poor indian immigrants and bring them home and then nuke that shit hole

So you've worked for City cabs? Lol

[Rat Catcher]

That wasn't the purpose of my vacation, Octy. I just happened to use a few taxis while there and, to be fair, they all seem happy... pleasant, polite and smartly dressed in western style uniforms - shirt, long trousers, shoes. Retail and the entire service industry are predominately staffed by immigrants, including all hotel staff, tour guides, etc... Dublin is going the same way I guess but we could certainly learn from how they do things, particularly in driver training, equipping cars with respiratory systems, free travel for disabled, constant monitoring of speed, traffic light monitoring and realistic penalties for incompetence. BTW, 99.92% of enforcement of the rules of the roads is automated over there with cameras on all traffic lights.

I doubt you'd win any argument in those parts if you're the party under the influence, Hal. A bit of irony that you might appreciate... McGettigans have a bar near the Marina.

[silverbullet]

Took a few taxis in Dubai and Abu Dhabi while on vacation. 4-5 kilo journey under AED20.00 (c.€5.00) with 4 passengers, physically hailed by concierge or hired at rank - cheaper than Uber/Careem. Cost of living is higher than Dublin and there was always cars available - although August isn't a particularly busy tourism month in those parts on account of the heat and, like Dublin, most drivers are immigrants.

I also noticed Abu Dhabi taxis have their speed constantly monitored which makes for a far safer and more pleasant experience than currently normal in Dublin. One for NTA.

ArabianBusiness.com: Careem, Uber scrap cheapest ride options in Dubai.
https://www.arabianbusiness.com/transport/426979-careem-uber-scrap-cheapest-ride-options-in-dubai

[Bob Shillin]

Don't have any desire to ever visit Bling Central Dubai, or Yabba Dabba,

[Rat Catcher]

It's not all bling! It was my first visit to that part of the world so I found it quite interesting how such capitalistic opulence is accommodated with minimum detraction from the underlying Islamic/Muslim moralistic values. It seems like an unworkable contrast but somehow it works. I think my favourite holiday snap is a picture with a young lady from Iraq who was dressed in the full female wrap including the face cover but had shoes that read (from left to right) "Girl Power". Obviously Abu Dhabi and Dubai are internationalised to a greater extent than the other emirates but you will still find a lot of tradition and you can escape the hustle and bustle by taking a short drive into the desert, if that's your desire.

[Rat Catcher]

ArabianBusiness.com: Careem, Uber scrap cheapest ride options in Dubai.
https://www.arabianbusiness.com/transport/426979-careem-uber-scrap-cheapest-ride-options-in-dubai

I see Uber owned Careem has secured the contract for taxi eHailing in Dubai. Interesting that RTA are taking an active role in developing the eHail infrastructure, again something our own NTA could learn from. I wonder if drivers will have to pay 12% or will it be included in their licence fees?

https://www.arabianbusiness.com/transport/426870-dubais-rta-careem-launch-new-e-hailing-taxi-service-hala?utm_source=Jarvis&utm_medium=arabianbusiness.com&utm_campaign=recommended

Dubai's RTA, Careem launch new e-hailing taxi service Hala

Dubai taxi prices will range from AED8-12; Hala aims to bring down the estimated time of arrival to less than 5 minutes

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Thursday the official launch of Hala, a joint venture with ride-hailing app Careem.

The new company is the newest way to book a Dubai taxi. Via the Careem app, it enables customers to ride at the touch of a button, a statement said.

A trial run of the e-hailing service started with 2,000 of Dubai taxis but will now cover 5,500 taxis by mid-September.

Dubai taxi prices will range from AED8 during regular hours, AED9 at night and AED12 during peak hours with the aim to bring down the estimated time of arrival (ETA) to less than 5 minutes over the next few months.

Contracts have been signed between Hala and the seven taxi franchise companies in Dubai while Careem’s e-hailing system has been integrated with RTA’s taxi management systems.

Drivers have been trained on receiving e-hailing requests from customers, the statement added.

Bassel Al Nahlaoui, managing director of Careem Gulf and Pakistan, said: “We are very excited to see Hala officially launch today. It is a milestone moment for the industry, with the public and private sectors coming together to bring ride hailing tech to everyday taxis. Residents and visitors of Dubai will now be able to find the closest Dubai Taxi to them on demand, see a fare estimate and time of arrival before booking their ride and connect their credit card for easy, hassle free payment via the Careem app.”

[stonethecrows]

Good Idea, time to open up a Donut shop in Dubai

[Rat Catcher]

I assume the AED8-12 (c.€2-3) is the pick up charge for eHailing. I wonder how that will be divided between Careem, drivers, franchise firms and RTA. Their meters are already quite high tech compared to ours with detailed fare and the driver's photograph displayed on a relatively large screen. Integrating the eHail software into that system will provide drivers with a far safer system than we have given that we have to use external tiny telephone screens to work for Uber/Lynk/Free Now/Flag/etc, supplied at our own expense.