UAE | Traffic and Transport
Taxi drivers 'refuse fares'
Residents are at their wits' end as taxis refuse to stop for them as they stand outside in the heat, and are upset at the inefficiency of public transport.
- By Mariam M. Al Serkal and Mohammad Shamseddine, Staff Reporters
- Published: 00:00 June 20, 2006
Dubai/Sharjah: Residents are at their wits' end as taxis refuse to stop for them as they stand outside in the heat, and are upset at the inefficiency of public transport.
The latest ordeal happened to a mother of a 20-month-old baby, Preety Anand, from India.
While standing near Al Maktoum Bridge at a nearby petrol station at 3.30pm, mother and child were left standing for almost 45 minutes as taxi after taxi passed by, refusing to stop.
"I was desperate for a taxi. My baby was turning red because it was so hot, and the taxis continued to pass me by," she said.
Preety called the customer service hotline number to complain and was left speechless.
"I started telling the person on the other line my complaint, and they slammed down the phone. This is unacceptable behaviour, because it shows they don't care about their customers."
A Dubai Transport representative told Gulf News that if passengers had complaints, they should write down the taxi's number and forward it to the hotline number.
"We need the number of the taxi so we can take action. Taxi drivers should not be rude or refuse passengers," said the representative.
Another resident expressed his dissatisfaction with public transport when he witnessed a recent incident of passengers being turned away.
The taxi driver passed a man carrying luggage who was trying to flag him down, and stopped instead for a woman who was 50 metres down the road.
But when she told him where she wanted to go, the taxi driver refused to take her and drove on.
UAE national Fatima Mohammad was waiting for a taxi at the Gold Souq in Deira to go to her office near the Dnata office. Four taxis passed by, but not before asking where she wanted to go.
"They told me that the distance was too short, and then waved at me to go away," she said, adding onlookers told her that taxi drivers prefer to pick up tourists heading towards Shaikh Zayed Road.
Sharjah taxis have other problems and many drivers do not know how to drive, complain residents.
"I get very scared when I get inside one because they drive terribly. I do not know how they got their driving licences," said Luai Zeno, of Lebanon.
However, when passengers flag them down, they do stop.
"When I stop a taxi, I have 10 honking for me to get in. It's never been an issue for me to find one," he said.
"Taxi drivers are very good people, but sometimes they have problems," said A.H. Tabara, who said they sometimes gave excuses as to why they could not pick up passengers.
"They drive better than they used to. Last year, many accidents involving taxis occurred but I don't think it's as bad as before," said Jagannath from India.
Cabs 'are unsafe and dirty'
Donna Michaels, from Australia, said a lot of taxis in Abu Dhabi were unsafe.
"Most of the taxis don't have seatbelts in the back of the car, which is very bad, especially for children.
"My child takes the taxi alone sometimes and he never finds a seatbelt. In addition, some drivers are very crazy while driving and they don't take into consideration the lives of their passengers," she said.
Jaber Dimasi, from Lebanon, said since taxis in Abu Dhabi were cheap, then people should not expect a five-star service.
"Dubai's taxis are very expensive, but all of them are clean and neat. In Abu Dhabi taxis are dirty because they are cheap," he said.
Maria Cortez, from Spain, said taxi drivers' rudeness is one of the main problems she faces.
"In addition to that, I can rarely find a clean cab, most of the cabs I get into have an unpleasant smell, and I sometimes find the seats are greasy," she said.
To make a complaint, call:
04-2080808 (For Dubai residents)
7000 6 7000 (For Sharjah residents)
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