Abu Dhabi: Angry and upset with what they termed the "pathetic" taxi service in the capital, many residents demanded a service similar to taxis in London.

They said the capital deserves a quality and eco-friendly taxi service with unique styling and features such as London's taxis, which can be hailed by VIPs and laymen alike.

"Abu Dhabi should have a unique and environmentally-friendly fleet of taxis that will grow as a symbol of the capital," said Nasser Al Daheri, an Emirati. 

He cited London's taxis, which, he said, can be hailed by an MP, a tourist, an artist or an ordinary resident.

"Why do we not have taxis similar to those in Paris and other European countries which have telephones and accept credit cards? Why do we not have taxis similar to those in Singapore, Hong Kong or even China, where there is a window to separate passengers from the driver's cabin, to protect privacy and prevent inconvenience caused to the passengers in communicating with the driver?" Al Daheri went on to say.

Long wait

Hossam Eddine Mahmoud, a long-time UAE resident, echoed Al Daheri's views and said: "We are tired of waiting for a new fleet of taxis announced by the Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre.

"It is getting really difficult to find a taxi in Abu Dhabi. I wait about an hour every day to find one."

Within three years, starting from the third quarter of this year, a fleet of 7,100 taxis operated by private companies would replace all existing gold and white taxis in the emirate.

Mahmoud added he was harassed by taxi drivers who at times refuse to stop for him, drive over the speed limit, forget how to use indicators and stop suddenly whenever and wherever they choose.

Mohammad Sa'ad, another resident, said each city in the world has its unique taxi image and Abu Dhabi deserves to have a high quality taxi service.

"The manners of drivers of the gold and white taxis are terrible. "A driver will often unexpectedly open the driver's door and expectorate noisily onto the road. Many will often strike up a conversation - generally about your origins, how long you have been in the country, and how many children you have," he added.

John M.K. agreed many of the current taxi drivers in Abu Dhabi lack discipline and even the simplest manners. "I'm looking forward to the new taxi service considering that Abu Dhabi is a highly advanced emirate," he said, voicing hope that the operators will be very selective in choosing drivers in terms of attitude and behaviour towards passengers.

New fleet of cars to have higher fares

Abu Dhabi's Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre has announced that the first batch of a new taxi network is anticipated to hit the roads in the last quarter of this year.

Seven UAE-based companies have been awarded the franchise for operating and managing the new taxi fleet. Each franchise company will launch a fleet of 1,020 taxis over a phased timeline of three to five years. The total fleet size will be around 7,140 taxis.

The new taxi system is being introduced under an Emiri Decree issued last year by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in his capacity as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi.

Khalid Saleh Al Rashedi, General Manager of the Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre, said the flag-fall fare will be Dh2.60 for a standard taxi, with each additional kilometre charged at 65 fils.

The starting fare for the current standard taxis is Dh2 and 50 fils for each additional kilometre. Two existing private firms in Abu Dhabi have flag-fall fares from Dh5 to Dh6 with 50 fils to almost a dirham per every additional kilometre.

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/06/25/10134694.html