Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority on Wednesday raised the minimum taxi fare on smart app bookings through Careem and S’hail.
The new base rate is Dh13, up from Dh12. The authority has also introduced new peak-hour rates and booking fees, which vary depending on the day of the week.
These fees will be fixed according to the hourly rates, with additional costs to be topped up according to the distance travelled.
Weekdays
Peak hours are designated from 8am to 9.59am and 4pm to 7.59pm from Monday to Thursday. During these hours, riders will pay a Dh5 flagfall charge on top of a Dh7.50 peak hour surcharge.
During off-peak hours (6am to 7.59am and 10am to 3.59pm), the flagfall remains Dh5, while the surcharge drops from Dh7.50 to Dh4.
Fridays
On Fridays, peak hours are 8am to 9.59am and 4pm to 9.59pm. During these hours, riders will pay a Dh5 flagfall charge on top of a Dh7.50 peak hour surcharge.
Off-peak hours are specified as 6am to 7.59am and 10am to 3.59pm. During these hours, the flagfall is Dh5, while the surcharge is Dh4.
Night hours are listed as 12am to 5.59am, with the flagfall listed as Dh5.50 and the surcharge Dh4.50.
Weekends
Peak hours on weekends are 8am to 9.59am and 4pm to 11.59pm. From 4pm to 9.59pm, riders will pay a Dh5 flagfall charge on top of a Dh7.50 peak hour surcharge, while from 10pm to 11.59pm, riders will pay an additional Dh5.50 flagfall charge on top of the same Dh7.50 peak hour surcharge.
Off-peak hours are 6am to 7.59am and 10am to 3.59pm. During these hours, the flagfall remains Dh5 while the surcharge drops to Dh4.
Night hours are specified as 12am to 5.59am. During these hours, the flagfall is Dh5.50, while the surcharge is Dh4.50.
Additional charges
The Dubai Taxi Company website says that the per kilometre rate is now Dh2.26 when using a S’hail with RTA and when ordering with Careem.
If passing a Salik gate, this will incur a tariff of Dh5 per gate. Riders will also be charged waiting times, with a fee of Dh0.5 per minute.
