Free WiFi in Dubai taxis as RTA rolls out new initiative

Dubai - The Tech Taxi initiative also helps the rider track the path of the journey and share the map with his/her relatives or associates.

Free WiFi and other digital services are now available in Dubai taxis after the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) started the implementation of the Tech Taxi initiative.

"The digital services support the smart city drive, which recently saw the launch of the e-hailing taxi service 'Hala' in conjunction with Careem," RTA said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The Tech Taxi initiative provides free WiFi in all taxis, enabling riders to connect to the service via WiFi UAE network using their smartphones. Once connected, the rider can log on to (www.taxiconnect.ae) to access an array of digital services via options enabling communication with the driver using instant interpretation of the passenger's language to the driver's selected language displayed on the meter screen," explained Khaled Al Awadi, director of transportation systems at the RTA's Public Transport Agency.

The Tech Taxi initiative also helps the rider track the path of the journey and share the map with his/her relatives or associates.

There is also a menu that briefs riders on the current market exchange rates for converting various currencies to dirhams. Moreover, the rider can click another option to rate the performance of the driver, and capture the taxi meter screen on his or her smartphone.

According to Al Awadi, the initiative is the first-of-its-kind worldwide and highlights RTA's efforts to make Dubai the smartest city in the world.

angel@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai