A taxi-sharing service between the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai is being trialled for six months, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced.
The service, which will carry commuters between Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai and Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi, will reduce travel costs by as much as 75 per cent.
“Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai and Al Wahda Centre in Abu Dhabi were selected after a thorough analysis of potential routes for the shared taxi service between the two emirates,” said Adel Shakri, director of planning and business development at the Public Transport Agency of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority.
“This initiative aims to reduce travel costs, particularly for frequent commuters between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Furthermore, both locations are well-connected to public transportation hubs and parking facilities.”
Each passenger's fare will depend on how many people are sharing the taxi. A central aim of the scheme is to help reduce traffic congestion by encouraging shared rides in a single vehicle, which will benefit the environment by reducing carbon emissions. It will also limit the number of unlicensed transport services, the RTA said on Monday.
This year, the RTA launched a clampdown on illegal taxis in Dubai with more than 225 vehicles impounded. Last month, Etihad Rail announced the journey times for some of its main passenger routes when its services become operational. A trip between Abu Dhabi and Dubai will take 57 minutes.
How it works
Two dedicated lanes will be reserved for carpooling at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai and Al Wahda Centre in Abu Dhabi.
The cab driver will determine the fare based on how many passengers are in the vehicle. The total cost of one trip is set at Dh264 and will be divided between a maximum of six passengers in a van, and four in a sedan.
So, if there are four passengers in a sedan taxi, the fare will be Dh66 each, Dh132 each if there are only two passengers, and Dh88 each when there are three passengers. Similarly, if it is a van taxi, the fare will be Dh44 each when it is operating at full capacity.
Passengers can pay using cash, bank or nol card. A booking app has not yet been introduced for the service, an RTA spokesperson clarified.
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