Dubai: Errant taxi drivers who are repeat offenders could end up losing their jobs unless they improve, traffic officials have warned.
The message was conveyed as an institute to train and qualify taxi drivers was recently inaugurated at the Roads and Transport Authority's (RTA) Dubai Taxi Corporation.
The Taxi Drivers Training and Qualification Centre, at the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) head office in Muhaisnah 4, will train drivers to perform their duties better, officials said.
Anyone wanting to work as a taxi driver in Dubai will have to undergo training at the centre and get a certificate that qualifies them to work in the city, under a recent policy endorsed by Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA.
Ambassadors
"Dubai Taxi Corporation attaches great importance to providing Dubai taxi drivers with special training and awareness, in accordance with the best international standards, since they are our ambassadors, who are on the front line, interacting with customers," Yousuf Al Ali, acting CEO of Dubai Taxi Corporation, said.
They will also implement a penalty regime that may go as far as terminating the services of drivers whose mistakes exceed the permissible levels, said Al Ali.
Drivers who are repeat offenders will be enrolled in a rehabilitation programme at the centre and once they complete this they will continue to be monitored. If they fail to improve their performance, a specially formed committee will decide what action to take, and this could result in termination of their job contract, Al Ali told Gulf News.
The centre aims at empowering the drivers to cope with challenges and difficulties encountered while performing their duties, he said.
The integrated training course offered to drivers, is accredited by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, and includes 240 training hours of practical and theoretical lessons. It covers 26 topics such as safe driving, customer service, meter function, traffic accidents and offences. The centre is the first of its kind in the UAE.
"The centre will also ensure all taxi drivers in Dubai undergo standard training procedure," Al Ali added.
The new RTA policy is an effort to reduce traffic offences and accidents and to boost taxi users' satisfaction, Ahmad Hashim Behroozian, CEO of RTA's Licensing Agency and Head of DTC Supervisory Committee said.
