DUBAI // Taxis at Dubai’s airports will now only be available in family size vans.
The Dubai Taxi Corporation and the Roads and Transport Authority have decided that the entire airport fleet will consist of larger vans because 75 per cent of customers prefer them to regular taxis.
The move follows Abu Dhabi Airport, which introduced a fleet of larger Mercedes taxis in November.
“The idea of unifying the types of taxicabs deployed in Dubai airports was initiated by Mustafa Shalabi, senior executive of special services, in view of his daily work and direct involvement with arriving passengers, grasping a rising demand for family size taxi vans in Dubai airports,” said Mohammed Salih, director of fleet operations at Dubai Taxi Corporation.
“The van-only policy was introduced due to their capacity to accommodate a large number of passengers and baggage, to meet the needs of families travelling to and from the UAE.
“The service was well received as it meets the needs of all passengers arriving via Dubai airports.”
There are 350 taxi vans exclusively deployed in Dubai airports to serve arriving passengers around the clock.
Taxi tariffs at Dubai International Airport start with Dh25 on the meter and it increases at a rate of Dh1.75 a kilometre. There is an extra Dh20 charge for those going to Sharjah.
Mr Salih called on the public to pay attention to their items and personal belongings while riding in taxis, and to ask for a bill before leaving the taxi, as key information such as driver number, fare, day and time are all displayed on it.
“Such details are important for DTC staff to refer to in case riders submit suggestions, feedback or complaints through the RTA call centre [800 9090], DTC website or RTA portal,” he said.
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