Abu Dhabi taxis set high fare for events

Passengers shuttling between Abu Dhabi and major events organised by the capital will have to pay a fortune under a new fare system announced by taxi operators in the city, the semi official daily Alittihad reported on Friday.

TransAD, which groups seven major silver taxi companies in the capital, set Dh20 for starting the fare metre at any major event and Dh1.5 per one kilometre during the trip within the capital, the Arabic language daily said.

It quoted a TransAD statement as saying it had set a high tariff for starting the metre because most of its taxi cabs usually wait for long periods of time at key events in the capital, adding that such fare does not apply on passengers going to the event. “It is just a sort of compensation for the long stay,” it said.

Nearly 6,500 new silver taxi cabs operate in Abu Dhabi under TransAD, which has recently increased the fare to Dhthree for starting the metre and Dhone for every 750 km from Dhone for every one km following a rise in petrol prices.

TransAD will eventually deploy nearly 9,000 silver taxis as part of a five-year plan launched four years ago to replace the famous white-and-yellow cars that had dominated the capital’s streets for a long period of time.

The replacement gained pace two years ago and only a few hundred old taxis are left on the road before they completely disappear early next year.

The old cabs were owned by UAE nationals, who have been compensated for the loss of their cars. Under a compensation plan drawn up by the Department of Transport, each taxi owner will be entitled for Dh1,000 a month for 25 years while taxi drivers will be tested for recruitment in the new taxi companies.

TransAD was set up in 2006 to carry out the replacement plan under the supervision of the Department of Transport. It comprises Tawasul Transportation Company, Cars Taxi, National Transportation Company, Al Ghazal Transport, Q-Link Transport, Emirates Taxi and Arabia Taxi.

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