Over 11,000 Dubai taxis to have surveillance cameras by October

Dubai - The system aims to ensure the compliance of taxi drivers with the laws.

The Road and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that all taxis in Dubai will have surveillance cameras by October 2018. More than 11,000 taxis are operating in Dubai and, as a security measurement, cameras have been installed in around 9,000 of them.
The recorded footage is saved in a DVR device installed in a taxi. A smart centralised system will be soon rolled out to monitor the visuals from the cameras in real time.
Mohammed Nabhan, director of transport activities monitoring, RTA, said: "Through these cameras, the RTA can monitor the conduct of taxi drivers and verify the extent of their compliance with the professional driving standards as well as moral attitudes. The system aims to ensure the compliance of taxi drivers with the laws.
"It even motivates them to observe optimal attitude towards users of the taxi service. The footage of these cameras can be retrieved in case of any violations reported during the taxi trips to eliminate any complaints from service beneficiaries."
About 277.9 million people used public transport in Dubai during the first half of 2018. Dubai Taxis accounted for the second biggest share of public transport users at 31.6 per cent after Dubai Metro with 37.2 per cent of the total public transport users.
The Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) itself has 5,201 taxis out of a total of 11,307 cabs plying in the emirate.  This represents 50 per cent of the taxi fleet in Dubai. In addition to the DTC, there are five other taxi companies operating in Dubai. The DTC has 10,894 taxi drivers out of the total 23,197 cabbie force, who represent 47 per cent of the taxi drivers.
During peak hours, there are approximately 9,500 operational taxis from all the franchise companies in Dubai.

Handling complaints
Most common complaints include staff conduct, refusing to deliver passengers, extending route to increase fare, and fares dispute.
"When customers have complaints, they can call our customer service centre at 8009090.
We handle the complaints by verifying the taxi driver. In the transport monitoring department, we have an investigation office that is dedicated to look into all the complaints. We inform the customer about the results of the investigation. The complaint needs to be settled within three days of receiving it," he added.
Thanks to the monitoring system, these issues have decreased in the first half of the year compared to first half of 2017.
Staff conduct complaints have decreased by 47 per cent, with complaints on refusing to give ride have decreased by 55 per cent, extending route to increase fares have decreased by 34 per cent and fare disputes by 10 per cent in first half of 2018.
Dispatch centres keep an aye on cabbies
Khaleej Times got an inside look at the Taxi Dispatch Centre located in Muhaisnah to explore how each taxi is monitored in real time. Established in 1995, the centre has nearly 35 agents working in each shift with four shifts round the clock. Taxis can be booked by customers 24/7 using different channels - calling an agent, interactive voice response (IVR), and smart applications that include Shail and RTA Dubai.