UAE | Traffic and Transport
Most cabbies feel system will be complimentary
The Dubai Metro is the talk of the town right now, but feelings on the new transport service seem to be mixed among taxi drivers. Some are worried that the launch of the Metro will make their customers opt for the train instead.
- By Mohammed N Al Khan, Staff Reporter
- Published: 22:57 September 10, 2009
- Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News
- Taxi drivers are optimistic that demand for taxis will still be high despite the introduction of the Metro.
Dubai: The Dubai Metro is the talk of the town right now, but feelings on the new transport service seem to be mixed among taxi drivers. Some are worried that the launch of the Metro will make their customers opt for the train instead.
"I think it will be a big problem for us now," says Annie Camaro.
"We provide a good service to the public, but I think at first we could see a ten to 15 per cent reduction in fares," estimates the 43 year old from Manila.
Camaro was one of a handful of female taxi drivers honoured by the RTA for gaining 100 merits last quarter.
"Right now it might be too soon to tell but in a week or so we will see the real effect of the Metro on us."
Other drivers seem less threatened and some are even optimistic that the Metro will have a positive effect on taxis.
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"I don't think it will affect us much," says Mamdouh Omasha who has worked for Dubai Taxi since 2003.
"If you are on a flight for three, four or five hours, would you then take the Metro to the nearest station and take a taxi from there to your home," asks the 43-year-old Egyptian.
"We make Dh500 a day on average in Ramadan, and I don't see that changing. The Metro is just not as flexible as taxis are."
Cynthia Rivera believes that Dubai is too busy for the Metro to affect taxis.
"I think the Metro will help us out. There is so much traffic in Dubai that it's very difficult for us to get customers to their destinations, we are wasting so much time on one customer. The Metro will ease traffic allowing us to get more fares per day," says the 43-year-old Filipina, "I really want to see how much it will help us out."
"No the Metro will not affect our income negatively at all," says 40-year-old Mahmoud Abdul Hamid Hassan. "I'm very happy for the people of Dubai for the launch of the Metro," says the Egyptian taxi driver.
"I can't wait to take my family on it on my day off, although these days I'm so busy I can't seem to find any time for them, this might be the perfect chance."
"Dubai is too big for the Metro to really affect us," says Kunheedu Paramban. "The Metro only runs on Shaikh Zayed Road, that's not enough to cover most people," says the 34-year-old Indian who was also one of the Merit honourees.
"There are passengers who need to go to Academic City and Al Qusais and far away places that the Metro just can't reach. I'm not worried about the Metro at all."
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