DTC: Enriching the public transport sector

Dubai Taxi Corporation marks its silver jubilee, serving one billion passengers to date

Dubai's Taxi Corporation (DTC) has completed 682 million journeys and transported more than one billion people since starting operations in 1995, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) revealed. Now, DTC is looking forward to marking more milestones, as it completes 25 years of service in 2020.
The taxi fleet grew from 81 to 5,201 vehicles, while the number of drivers increased from 886 to 11,500 in the last 25 years, according to Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA in Dubai.
The total number of staff employed has also increased from 23 to 113,113, and new services are coming into effect in the emirate. In addition, the DTC has begun implementing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to strike a balance between supply and demand for the taxi service, analyse trip details, and direct the fleet to various hotspots.
It also uses AI to improve safe driving practices by monitoring the conduct of drivers and verifying their compliance with safe driving standards.
The DTC smart app has successfully reduced the average dispatch time for taxis to 6.5 minutes, and offers several services, such as DTC My Driver, In Safe Hands, Amira and People of Determination taxis.
Since the induction of Toyota hybrid vehicles into the Dubai Taxi fleet, fuel consumption and carbon emissions have reduced by as much as 47 per cent. The procurement of these vehicles is in line with the RTA's Green Mobility Strategy. This move also fosters the emirate's aim to slash carbon emissions by 16 per cent in 2021, and RTA's intent to convert 50 per cent of Dubai Taxi fleet into hybrid vehicles by 2021.
DTC's Smart Transformation Plan (2018-2020) is based on three pillars: Clients, Drivers and Employees. For clients, DTC has accomplished 20 projects out of 36 projects designed to improve the services to customers and make them happier. For instance, school buses were fitted with devices for tracking and monitoring buses and students for added security and safety.
For drivers, DTC has automated 38 out of 61 services. It had launched the drivers' stress measurement system that sends automated alerts and cautionary signals to the control centre to assure the safety of drivers and riders.
For employees, DTC has accomplished 20 automated projects out of 58, including the taxi smart technical testing system, which reduced the time taken in testing taxis from 40 minutes to just four. The system also cut short the number of required testing supervisors from five to one.

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