Taxis go the extra mile to offer better services

Dubai: Dubai taxis improved in terms of performance in the second half of 2009, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Monday.

The total number of trips travelled by franchise company vehicles was in excess of 36 million during the final six months of last year; an approximate increase of 1.8 million trips compared to the first six months of 2009.

Eisa Abdul Rahman Al Dossary, Chief Executive of the RTA’s Public Transport Agency, said: “National Taxi Fleet topped the list in terms of operational efficiency in the second half of 2009 at 95 per cent followed by Cars Taxi Fleet at 94 per cent, Metro Taxi at 93 per cent, Arabia Taxi at 92 per cent and Dubai Taxi Corporation’s fleet at 89 per cent.

Progressive

“The taxi sector is one of the most important sectors in Dubai and is progressively developing in terms of service and increased number of vehicles in response to the increasing rise in the number of users including residents, visitors and tourists.”

National Taxi scored the highest operational efficiency at peak hours during the second half of 2009, hitting 95 per cent.

The rate of signing off complaints levelled against all franchise companies to the RTA customer service centres was 94 per cent during the same period.

“The Franchising and Enforcement Department at the Public Transport Agency launched 28 inspection campaigns of taxicabs during the second half of 2009 to combat a number of negative phenomena such as reckless driving.