UAE | Media
Driven to frustration
Taxi drivers generally don't enjoy the best reputation. This hasn't changed, at least in Abu Dhabi, for more than three decades.
- By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:35 October 25, 2007
- Residents wait for taxis in Abu Dhabi. People complain of poor service and bad manners, but drivers say they are misunderstood.
- Image Credit: Gulf News
Abu Dhabi: Taxi drivers generally don't enjoy the best reputation. This hasn't changed, at least in Abu Dhabi, for more than three decades.
Drivers still ignore passengers and hardly ever arrive when you book by phone, long-time residents said.
Even if you are lucky to get a taxi, you may be shouted and sworn at by the driver, who may still refuse to take you to your destination simply because he does not want to take that route.
Taxi companies defend themselves by saying the demand is too high in Abu Dhabi, and the drivers claim to have reasons for ignoring passengers.
"The major complaint is we refuse to take passengers even if the taxi is empty. It may happen during prayer time. How can I take passengers when I have to go for prayers?" asked Mohammad Ramzan, a Pakistani driver.
His compatriot, Ahmad Sulaiman, said he sometimes has personal chores to do such as shopping, paying a utility bill or meeting a friend or relative. But people never understand. "How can we take passengers at such times? We cannot arrange other vehicles for our personal work," Sulaiman said.
Residents complain that even waiting at designated spots is futile. "They never stop," said Nashwa Haider, a Syrian who has lived in Abu Dhabi since 1981.
Another passenger complains that taxis never stop even if you have children or loads of shopping.
"It's tiring to wait on the street for long, carrying big parcels or handling children," said Gassan Al Jichi, 50, a Palestinian who has lived in Abu Dhabi for 25 years.
"Some taxi drivers play music or put on the radio at a high volume," he said.
Benny Mamman, who has been in the capital for 27 years, said the behaviour of drivers has not changed over the years.
"Their behaviour has got worse and the taxis stink even more. The drivers quarrel with the passengers," he said. But the drivers say they are misunderstood.
"We are blamed for striking up unnecessary conversations," said Javed Ali Khan. "There is a shortage of taxis and we are being blamed for no fault of ours."
A Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre has been established to look into complaints.
"We have asked owners to distribute guidelines on the standards to be maintained," said Khalid Saleh Al Rashedi, general manager of the centre.
"All taxis will be given identification numbers in December, which will enable passengers to file a complaint easily."
He said these taxis will be slowly phased out next year and the first batch of new ones will be on the road by December.
He said the problem has become acute because of the increasing population. "People are moving further out into the suburbs because of the spiralling rent in the city," he said. "The drivers try to make more money by running shared taxis to the suburbs and it creates a shortage."
According to earlier reports, the fleet of 7,100 taxis operated by private companies will be replaced. Seven UAE-based companies have been awarded the contract to operate and manage the new fleet. Each company will launch a fleet of 1,020 taxis over three to five years, for a total fleet of about 7,140.
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