Dubai: Passengers hiring taxis to Sharjah and other emirates from Dubai International Airport complain that the Dh40 they are made to pay over the normal fare is just not fair.
The starting fare for the taxis from the airport to any destination in Dubai is Dh20 but people headed for Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain have to part with an additional Dh20 in addition to the metre fare.
Taxis in Dubai started charging Dh20 extra from passengers going to Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain in April after the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) introduced the Dh20 additional fare in response to a move by the Sharjah Transport Corporation to set starting taxi fares at Dh20 for passengers travelling from Sharjah to Dubai.
But the move has left people hiring taxis at the airport fuming because they now end up paying Dh40 more (Dh20 for airport taxi service and Dh20 for travelling to Sharjah) over the normal fare.
"It is a rip-off," said Tanveer Javed, a resident of Sharjah, who ended up paying Dh90 for a taxi ride from Dubai airport to Sharjah. "I don't understand this policy because it is forcing more passengers [to] avail services of illegal taxi operators who charge less," he added.
A Gulf News spot survey found out that many Sharjah-bound passengers either prefer private cars or just walk out of the airport to flag down a taxi on the main road to avoid the Dh20 starting fare.
"The new policy has led to [an] increase in private cars trips to the airport because now passengers call their friends and relatives to pick them up from the airport. This move not only reduces taxi usage but also leads to more traffic congestion," Dr Anwar Iqbal, another passenger commented.
According to an RTA official, the starting fare of Dh20 for airport taxis was to compensate drivers for waiting in a queue and because they were only allowed to operate at the airport. However, he did not comment when asked why the passengers heading to Sharjah were being made to pay an additional Dh20.
The RTA also introduced a minimum fare of Dh10 for passengers travelling within Dubai on March 31. Passengers travelling short distances have to pay a minimum charge of Dh10 even if the metre fare is less than Dh10.
Mirdiff project: Dh184m contract cleared
The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will build new roads and bridges to provide easier access to the Mirdiff City Centre from Rashidiya, Mirdiff, Nad Al Hammar and Al Warqa.
The RTA's board of directors, led by its chairman Mattar Al Tayer, has approved a contract for the Dh184-million project. The cost of the project will be borne by the Majid Al Futtaim Group, which is constructing the Mirdiff City Centre.
"The project aims to provide direct entry and exit points to the Mirdiff City Centre from all directions," said Al Tayer.
- Staff Report
Do you think the taxi fare is fair? Would this discourage you from riding in a taxi? Would you try and find other alternatives?
Your comments
i'm frequently using taxi services which is very very very expensive and it is not fair at all. We are very upset
Lheng
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 17:30
Even if you are willing to pay Dh40 extra, drivers will start misbehaving with passengers when they say destination as Sharjah, specially in the early morning hours. They don't want to drive back to Dubai in the heavy traffic from Sharjah. RTA must take strict measures against these drivers.
Rengith
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 17:13
I am not sure whether these rules change between the Airport terminal buildings. Because I hired a cab from DXB Airport Terminal 2. The meter was started from 30 Dhs. When I questioned from the driver he replied this is the new starting fair. However I had to pay 40 Dhs from DXB Terminal 2 to near to Al Bustan Residence which normally cost 7Dhs.
Chan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 16:52
Why are you talking only of Dubai's taxi fare UAE, Heathrow Airport to London City is about 45KM far and costing 80GB.
Don
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 16:47
Wow!!!!It is so high! What are RTA doing? Why are they not thinking? Taxi driver is so smart now! If you want to go short way they will tell you that the road is closed, and if you on traffic it means that your money counting in Dubai taxis! Yes it is correct!!! I don't understand why RTA confirmed that the rate in Dubai is Dh10 even if you travel about Dh7?
D.M.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 16:25
Starting from Dubai International Airport to Sharjah city and the fare will be around 90 including 40dhs starting fare then in the same fare I can travel from Sharjah to Mumbai by Air Arabia of distance more then 2000 kilometer. So its ridiculous to pay Dh90 for the distance around 25 to 40 kilometer. The RTA need to cleverly think about people and try to start some buses from Dubai to Sharjah and keeping the Dh20 starting fare of taxi.
Shahbaz
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 16:20
I stay in Sharjah and taking a taxi from the Dubai Airport has become too expensive. I had to pay Dh40 over and above the meter fare. With a couple of suitcases it is not possible to think of other means of transport. Taking a taxi or calling a friend to pick you up is the only option. The taxi fare is not fair at all. People arriving tired from their air travel, would obviously take a cab as they are not left with much choice.
Naina Nair
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 16:18
The taxi fares should be more easily affordable as before.
Rafique
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 16:15
Taxi fares are really high why can't RTA understand that those who can afford taxis are having cars what about low income people. RTA are comapring prices with UK but why can't they see that salary in UAE is very less comapred to UK. Please reduce the taxi prices by at least 30%.
Mustafa
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 16:00
The fare to start a taxi in the Dubai airport was already high, for an average person ( just like me) I would definitely asking friends to pick me up upon my arrival instead of take such Taxi with a regular service, that still can be very doubtful about the quality. RTA should fully review it's strategy, find the real problem and suitable solution for the same. However, I do support the Dh10 charge for short distance riders, which implemented earlier.
Ojjo
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 15:46
Its very unfair to charge extra Dh40. what to say? Don't know.
Hassan Aziz
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 15:44
By introducing the new waiting charges, I have noticed that there are a few signals which just open for less then 20 seconds and after that the waiting time is 3 minutes which just simply costs you Dh1.50. Is it fair? Just imagine if you are some 250 meters from that signal. How much would it cost for just crossing ONE SIGNAL???? RTA please introduce rates which are justifiable.
Hussain
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 15:44
If I book a car pick up from rental company its cheaper than taxi. The authorities must think of common people, all cant afford this amount, please think of deserving people around us thank you.
Riz
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 15:39
a few weeks ago i took taxi at the airport as soon as he moved no more than 20 yards, i saw the guy whom i had arranged a lift from coming in.
the taxi driver charged me 25 AED for a journey of 20 yards.
very unfair i felt but he said it was RTA's rule.
Edd
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 15:31
I personally avoid using taxi drivers because its expensive and the drivers either do not know the city because they are new or have a bad attitude. They spoil my mood simply because of the bad service they offer. Prefer to use the bus because its cheap and am looking forward to the metro service.
Javier
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 15:19
Strange, Taxi fare become more than flight Fare?.....
Air Arabia Flight Fare From Sharajah - to Sana'a 70 Dhs, and Sharajah - to Khartoum 77 and Tehran99 Dhs..
So, Taxi Fare from Dubai to Sharjah 100 Dhs....?
7th Wonder....
From A Reader
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 14:30
It is not fair, even RTA has canceled the monthly bus-pass which was very useful, I don?t know why they canceled it. People like me suffer a lot due to these changes.
Jai
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 14:30
This unfair, what is the additional expense they want to cover now? It can be accepted to increase the starting fee by 50% but not by 100% and also to make the minimum fare for any trip is 10AED this is not fair.
Tarek Nasser
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 14:25
It is totally unfair to charge people this amount of money. I compeletely agree with Tanver Javed about forcing more passengers to use illegal taxi as they charge less. RTA should really look into this.
Mrs. Ali
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 14:24
Taxi service is transport service for lower middle class. This should be treated as service not a money making service or looking for growth in profit margin each year.
Rizwan Khan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 14:19
Its definately unfair. Is there an option? We have no choice but to hire a cab from Dubai airport to Sharjah. I think the AED 20 which was set earlier is fine considering the long wait for taxis, but charging AED 20 more is not justified. Both the emirates Sharjah and Dubai should consider this in the interest of people in UAE
Franky
sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 13:10
Dubai Airport Taxi should not charge the extra 20 dirhams when going to Sharjah since they have already implemented the 25 dirhams starting rate! The RTA should review what they have implemented whether it has done greater good to the people. It is really unfair to charge 40 for the passengers, 25 was bearable but 40 is just too much!
Edwin
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 13:04
The fare hike is not at all justified. I think it will discourage passengers to use taxi. In such a situation I would prefer to travel from somewhere else.
Abhijit Dhargalkar
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 12:54
if i want to go to al ain from sharjah, taxi cost me approx Dh300, which is equal to cost of Airarabia flight from sharjah to mumbai.
Hiralal
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 12:49
This is indeed expensive. And moreover, apart from charging more, these taxi drivers show too much attitude. It is better to use other forms of public transport.
Abdul Aziz
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 12:34
3 of us were returning from sharjah airport.We got into a taxi to go to clocktower shj,the securety of shj taxi accompanied us with another 3 persons going to national paints roundabout.They were charged with meter charge,and we proceeded to shj we questened the driver about the charge he decended us and luggage in between the journey.
Manoj
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 12:19
The RTA should think about the everyone before they introduce new fares. Thumbs down to RTA.
Daniel
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 12:12
40...? is too much!!! its not fair!!
Marlon
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 12:07
Considering the fact that going through Sharjah can involve getting stuck for hours in traffic, I see nothing wrong with this additional fare. People living there cant expect to have everything cheap. It is just the price they have to pay for using the services of another emirate.
Siddharth K.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 12:06
All we can do is talk about it. Feels very painful when you are out of the dubai airport with your family and want to go to sharjah. Best suited for me is Sharjah airport. If an option is available in the form of sharjah airport I prefer to use it.
Abdullah
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 11:52
wow, great RTA, people who think to spend 1 dihrams how can pay 40AED on starting and after that waiting awesome news. Even only those person use taxis who can't afford own cars and RTA should provide Luggage Bus service on Terminals for out of dubai passengers like, Sharjah, Ajman etc and charged AED20. I think its fair.
Mohammad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 11:50
If RTA is so concerned about the taxi driver's incomes, why don't they increase their salaries instead of penalizing the customers at every step. In this way they are only losing their customer base and more and more passengers are now turning to private taxis and friends cars. 40 AED starting fare for a taxi ride to Sharjah from Dubai Airport is too much.
From A Reader
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 11:50
I think its very low, they should increase another dh20.
Shezad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 11:32
We arrived on 22d, friday, at 5 am, and too a taxi from the airport to Al-Tawun, sharjah, but the taxi driver told us that Al Wahda street is closed for repairs and took us through a long detour via airport terminal, anyhow, my fare with the 20 + 20 dirham charge came to 75, while it could have been about 50 all in all, as when I arrived over Al Nahda bridge I realised all cars are travelling normal, well done Taxi driver
Osama
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 11:22
Its totally unfair, RTA before making any decision, should consider how much its going to affect the average people, as it will now normally come to AED 90-100 from Dubai Airport to Shajrah city, which it too high. An extra charge of Dh40 is too much, one can easily travel in that much amount from Dubai to Sharjah.
Mustafa
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 11:04
Yes, RTA must look into this. Even normal RTA Taxi waiting charges is too high. it's charged when waiting at the traffic signal.
James
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 10:38
I arrived from Oz on 13th April and we were charged AED 25 as starting fee!
Mike
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 09:53
Sure it is not fair. Now we walk into Dubai and take a Dubai taxi than taking a Sharjah taxi to go to Dubai and pay AED 20 more. Return we would take a Sharjah bus back. I don't mind the walk but will not pay so much more.
S. P.
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 09:30
Its ashamed that again the RTA are charging the passengers and baby sitting the taxi drivers. Its definitely unfair for public commuter to have this kind of system. Not all the passengers have the money to spend on taxi fares. We, the commuters are budgeting our money even a single fils. In this case, I would rather use the airport passenger bus connecting to Dubai city. I hope the RTA will be helping commuters too.
Alvin
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 08:56
Its very unfair to charge so much for a taxi ride, if one has to spend Dhs 100/
Nizam
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 07:55
We can use the bus if we dont have much luggage. Or go out of the airport. There are buses Dubai to Sharjah and we can enquire about and use them. Yes 40 AED is too high a fee.
Venkat
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 24, 2009, 07:16
