ABU DHABI // Cab drivers will no longer lose their jobs after their first offence for driving through red lights, Abu Dhabi’s taxi regulator says.
Last month, a taxi company manager revealed that up to 150 drivers were being fired every month for running amber and red lights, after a rule came into effect in January.
“We’re giving them another chance, but it will be only one,” said Mohammed Al Qamzi, general manager of regulator TransAD. “Before getting back behind the wheel they need to undergo refresher training.”
Private drivers who do not stop at a red light face a Dh800 fine, having their vehicles impounded for 15 days and eight black points on their licence.
Taxi drivers face fines of up to Dh2,300. Instead of having their vehicle impounded, cab drivers usually pay an extra Dh1,500, or Dh100 a day for 15 days, to keep driving their car.
The amount is deducted from their monthly salary.
“We’re trying to send a message to the drivers about the dangers of crossing a red light and being safe on the roads,” Mr Al Qamzi said.
TransAD reversed its decision after talks with taxi drivers and companies that were having difficulties after the sackings.
“We listened to the drivers who feared being hit from behind by another vehicle,” Mr Al Qamzi said. “Other drivers said ‘it happens when something takes our mind off driving’.
“The companies care about the drivers and at the same time, they said they’re losing a lot of money.”
Thousands of taxis are on the streets of Abu Dhabi around the clock. Drivers must present a positive image on the roads by adhering to traffic rules, Mr Al Qamzi said.
"We would like to make sure that people taking taxis feel safe, and the rule is not meant to punish the drivers," he said. "In fact, we have an existing programme to reward and motivate drivers for safe driving behaviour."
TransAD provides incentives to drivers on a monthly and yearly basis.
Taxi drivers and their companies welcomed the news.
“This is good news for us,” said a Pakistani driver who works for Tawasul. “Every day I feel that it’s my last day at work.”
Drivers typically work more than 12 hours a day to meet their daily quotas of Dh450.
“We try to drive safely but many of us feel so tense all the time,” the driver said.
Sarfaraz Khan, 38, a Cars Taxi driver also from Pakistan, said a roommate who worked for National Taxi had lost his job two months ago because he drove through a red light at the junction of Delma Street and Khaleej Al Arabi Road.
“He was lucky to get a job at a private company,” Mr Khan said. “But how about the drivers who have been here for a few months?
“Many of them sold their wife’s or sister’s jewellery just to come here to train, get a licence and work as taxi drivers. But with the new rule, TransAD will give all drivers a chance so they can earn and send money home.”
Abdulla Al Sabbagh, executive director of Cars Taxi, said the company had lost 85 drivers to the red-lights rule.
“We really appreciate what Mr Al Qamzi has done,” Mr Al Sabbagh said. “It will save us both time and money to recruit a new set of drivers.
“It costs up to Dh15,000 to recruit a driver, which is quite a lot considering that we now have 1,200 drivers, and with the double-shift system it will be 2,400.”
Mr Al Sabbagh said he was aware of the reasons behind TransAD’s rules on red-light offences as part of the Government’s aim to make the roads safer and promote a safe driving culture.
“All types of road users – you and me – are at risk of being injured or killed when someone crosses a red light,” he said.
Red-light offences were the cause of 189 accidents in the UAE last year, causing 406 injuries, new figures from the Ministry of Interior show.
rruiz@thenational.ae