Abu Dhabi taxi fares to rise for first time in five years

ABU DHABI // Taxi fares in the capital will increase for the first time in five years, with a minimum charge now set at Dh12. The changes include setting higher starting fees and per-kilometre rates, as well as an increase in the fee for booking a taxi through the call centre, which is going from Dh3 to Dh4 during the day and from Dh4 to Dh5 at night. The flagfall for taxis will rise from Dh3.50 to Dh5 during the day (6am to 10pm), and from Dh4 to Dh5.50 at all other times. The charge per kilometre will be Dh1.82 for both day and night trips, while the waiting fee remains the same at Dh0.50 per minute. The fare is currently Dh1.6 per kilometre during the day and Dh1.69 at night. If a trip costs less than Dh12, the customer must also pay the difference. The new fares will be implemented a month after publication in the Official Gazette, though it is not yet known when this will be. The last time Abu Dhabi's taxi regulator TransAd, now called Integrated Transport Centre, raised prices was in May 2012 . At that time, the centre spent more than a year studying taxi usage and polling customers. The changes put Abu Dhabi rates in line with Dubai, when flagfall rates were raised to Dh5 from Dh3 in January 2015. And for pre-booked taxis the rate increased to Dh9 from Dh6 from 6 am to 10 pm, and to Dh10.50 from Dh8 all other hours. Airport taxi fares are unaffected, with flagfall remaining at Dh25 for the airport vans and Dh20 for the saloon-type cars. Mushamil Khan, a 40-year-old taxi driver from Afghanistan, wondered whether a fare increase could help him hit his target easier but then considered the fact that passenger numbers will probably drop also. Mr Khan, who has worked daily from 8am to 11pm for six years, takes home about Dh4,500 in commission per month. “There are too many taxis on the road,” he said. “Now, with the fare increase, it will be a big problem for us. Our passengers will start complaining again.” The father of three expects a significant drop in passenger numbers, along with a fall in tips, when fares increase. Taxi driver Imtiaz Hussain, 42, from Pakistan, agreed, saying many will be put off by the Dh12 minimum charge for both day and night trips. “I pick up and drop 20 to 25 passengers a day but their fare is usually between Dh5 and Dh7,” said Mr Hussain, who has worked for Tawasul taxi firm for seven years. He expects more people to consider using public transport or use sharing taxis that operate illegally in front of Lifeline Hospital on Electra Street and across Muroor Road from the Al Wahda bus station. “I only get Dh2,600 a month,” said Mr Hussain, who has a 6am to 6pm shift. “For that, I need to make at least Dh250 in fares per day. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to hit my target.” Billy Cabigting, 35, a salesman for Dunia Finance who relies on taxis to take him around the city, said the new fares will greatly affect him. “For example, the taxi fare from home in Al Falah to our Hamdan Street office is about Dh8,” he said. “I guess I’ll start taking the bus more often.” Farid Adhib, 21, a university student who is originally from Syria, said that while the new taxi fares would result in a reduction in passenger numbers, it won’t hurt the pockets of many regular taxi users. “There’s always two sides to everything,” he said. “On the positive side, people will consider using public transport, which is good for the environment and reduces congestion, while others won’t mind paying more to take a cab.” The taxi regulator had previously raised taxi fares in February 2009 . Before that, the daytime flagfall was Dh2.60 and the per-kilometre rate was 65 fils. On Sunday, officials did not give an explanation for the fare hike but did say that more details would be released shortly. rruiz@thenational.ae

Abu Dhabi taxi fares to rise for first time in five years

The last time TransAd, the city’s transport authority, raised prices was in May 2012.