More than 2,000 cases of unlicensed taxi operations in capital

Abu Dhabi: More than 2,000 cases of unlicensed taxi services in the capital have prompted transport and legal authorities to develop a system which will recognise illegal drivers, experts in the capital said on Sunday.

The Centre for Regulation of Transport by Hire Cars in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (TransAD) has reported a total of 1,657 illegal commuting cases in the city, 378 in Al Ain, in addition to 324 more cases which were handled by the Abu Dhabi Police since the beginning of this year.

“A database containing all the names and details pertaining to licensed taxi and bus drivers is currently being developed and is expected to be fully operational by 2014. The system will be available to law enforcement officials and TransAD monitors therefore allowing them to capture unlicensed drivers,” a spokesperson from the Department of Transport (DoT) said at a conference on Sunday.

Currently, officials spot unauthorised drivers either by asking commuters whether they are paying a fare to the driver at the end of a trip, or by inquiring whether the driver can identify his passengers to check if they are friends, family or acquaintances.

However, Director of Franchise and Licensing at TransAD Mohammad Al Hosani told Gulf News that instances of carpooling which involve co-workers sharing a vehicle to their workplace in exchange for paying a monthly fee to the designated driver do not fall under the current legal definition of illicit commuting.

“Passengers of unlicensed drivers will not be penalised but will be used as witnesses in court cases involving the incident,” Al Hosani said.

According to Abu Dhabi law, all those involved in the unauthorised transportation of passengers will be subject when caught to fines between Dh5,000 and Dh10,000 as well as imprisonment for no more than 30 days or one of these penalties.

Infectious diseases

Meanwhile, officials stressed the dangers that accompany those who commute by unmarked taxis, including not knowing whether the vehicle being driven is fit to be on the road or if the driver has any infectious disease.

“TransAD conducts yearly checks on its drivers’ medical health and criminal history, and without knowing either one, passengers of illegal taxis may become victims to crimes or infectious diseases,” Al Hosani added.

Recently the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department announced it had registered some 400 cases of unlicensed taxi drivers since the beginning of the year. A statement from the department said that taxis are fitted with tracking devices which help transportation companies find the location of the vehicle in case of an emergency such as the harassment or assault of a passenger.

Currently, Abu Dhabi taxis have an arrival time of several minutes from the time an order is placed through the call centre. In addition, a short-term DoT strategy for 2015 will include operating 1,400 public buses with the ability to accommodate up to 50 passengers each, serving 165 routes.

A new online system to renew bus and driver licences will be launched during the last quarter of this year, according to the DoT.