Now book a taxi, get it in under 5 minutes in Dubai

Careem will have the access to around 17,000 taxis and limousines in Dubai.

Waiting time for a taxi will be reduced from 10 minutes to five minutes, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said after it announced on Sunday that it has entered into an e-hail taxi joint venture with Dubai-based ride-hailing company, Careem.
A new company will also be created to run this partnership which will have access to around 17,000 taxis and limousines in Dubai. Back in 2016, the agreement signed by RTA with Careem was limited only to the 6,000 limousines and now users of Careem will be able to book the more economical Dubai taxis.
"The e-hail of about 10,847 taxis will be exclusively run for a limited period by the new company; the name and logo of which will be announced in future. The new company will start passenger service in April 2019, and the online booking market of about 6,450 limousines will be open for companies operating in the sector, without any change," said Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA.
Speaking to Khaleej Times after the press briefing, Mudassir Sheikha, co-founder and CEO of Careem, said the new e-hail taxi company will be run jointly by RTA and Careem. "It will have a separate board and management will be 51 per cent nominated by the RTA and 49 per cent from Careem."
"The Careem app will also reflect the new company with an option to choose from any of the taxis and limousines," he added.
"Through this new company, the RTA intends to leverage the taxi sector in Dubai. It involves raising the efficiency of taxis in Dubai through enhanced accessibility of vehicles and their online booking and reducing the expected waiting time for the vehicle," Al Tayer underlined.
Adel Shakri, director of planning and business development at RTA's Public Transport Agency, explained: "A couple of years ago, the waiting time when you booked a taxi was 15 minutes, then we recently reduced it to 10; now, with this partnership and given the technology of Careem, we expect that customers will have a taxi within five minutes."
When asked why the RTA entered into a partnership with a private company, Al Tayer explained: "We could have spent a lot of money (building the infrastructure), so we considered entering into a partnership with the private sector."
"Five of the big e-hail taxi companies operating in the global market have submitted technical and financial proposals. Careem was selected after the assessment of submissions made. Careem will cater to the provision of the e-hail technology, and the management of bookings and drivers through its existing app; which is flexible and user-friendly," Al Tayer noted.
He added that the joint venture is part of the RTA's strategy to revamp the taxi sector. "The RTA had invested around Dh100 billion in constructing roads and public transport projects to match the growing needs for transport in Dubai. The future direction of the RTA is to invest in technological solutions and smart service," Al Tayer emphasized.
"This partnership is the first of its kind worldwide between a government transport authority and a private entity specialised in taxi e-hail business. The e-hail has become the most effective tool of matching the supply with demand, and offering clients a smooth experience in obtaining taxis," he added
Al Tayer also noted that the joint venture has "a host of advantages to clients such as making a direct online payment via the app, charting the most suitable journey route, sharing the ride with others, and displaying details of the vehicle and driver, in addition to an option for providing the service with a chauffeur."
angel@khaleejtimes.com

Taxis in Dubai by the numbers
Dubai taxi fleet
10,847 - number of taxis in Dubai operated by seven companies (Dubai Taxi Corporation, City Taxi, Arabia, Metro Taxi, National, Oneroad Taxi). Around 50% of the 10,847 taxis are operated by Dubai Taxi Corporation, a company under the RTA.
22,340 - number of taxi drivers in Dubai, coming from various nationalities
174M - annual passengers
100M - annual trips made by taxis
6,000+ limousines operate in Dubai (owned by 120+ private companies) - can be booked using Careem, Uber, or RTA apps.
Waiting time
16 minutes - waiting time for a taxi three years ago
10 minutes - current waiting time
5 minutes - waiting time target by the RTA
Style and comfort
> Convertible Range Rover
*available only in Jumeirah Beach Residence, The Walk, Downtown Dubai and Burj Al Arab
Flag down rate: Dh25 for non-peak hours
Fare: Dh5 per kilometer
> Three-wheeled limo bike (Can-Am Spyder RT)
*available only in JBR, Downtown Dubai and The Walk
Flag down rate: Dh10
Fare: Dh1 per minute after the first 10 minutes
> Tesla (Model S sedan and Model X SUV)
Flag down rate: Dh25 from the airport
Fare: Dh2.50 per kilometre from the airport
> Tesla (Model S sedan and Model X SUV)
Flag down rate: Dh7 outside the airport
Fare: Dh3.50 per kilometre
> Regular sedan taxi (Dubai Taxi Corp)
Flag down rate: Dh5 from 6am to 10 pm (if hailed on the road)
When booked online or via Call centre: Dh10-Dh12 in case of booking and distribution.
Rate: Dh5.50 from 10 am to 6 am
How to book a taxi?
RTA's S'hail mobile app (available on Android / iOS)
Careem
Call the reservation centre on 04 2080808
Source: www.rta.ae