A taxi-sharing service that operates between Abu Dhabi and Dubai is being extended by six months, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced.
The extension is the result of a positive response to the scheme since its introduction in November last year, providing taxi passengers with shared trips in a single vehicle from Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai to Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi.
A central aim of the scheme is to help reduce traffic congestion by encouraging shared rides. The RTA has decided to offer new locations where commuters between the cities can take advantage of the service.
“Strong demand has encouraged us to expand the service on a trial basis to include two additional locations: Al Maktoum International Airport, with routes to Dubai Marina Mall, Business Bay Metro Station and Palm Jumeirah – Atlantis Monorail Station; and Dubai World Trade Centre, with routes to Business Bay Metro Station, Al Satwa Bus Station and Dubai Marina Mall,” said Adel Shakri, director of planning and business development at RTA’s Public Transport Agency.
“The decision to introduce new locations on a trial basis follows field studies and a detailed analysis of potential routes for the taxi ride-sharing service in the emirate. The objective is to reduce the fare for riders, particularly those who rely on this mode of transport within Dubai.”
Since the scheme was first introduced last year, it has helped to lower the number of people taking unlicensed transport, the RTA said. Another aim of the project is to reduce congestion.
How it works
When the scheme was announced in 2024, the RTA said taxi drivers would calculate the fare based on how many passengers are in the vehicle. The total cost of one trip was set at Dh264, to be divided between a maximum of six passengers in a van or four in a sedan.
So, the fare would be Dh66 each for four passengers in a sedan taxi; Dh88 each for three passengers; and Dh132 for two. In a van taxi, the fare would be Dh44 each when it is operating at full capacity.
