Dubai: Taxi fares in Dubai are among the world's most affordable, according to a new index.
The Carspring 2017 Taxi Price Index, published on Tuesday, compares the cost of taxi rides in 80 of the world’s most popular cities, in which Dubai stood at No. 5 among the cheapest fares — from the airport to the city centre.
A price guide for travellers, the index rates destinations according to several parameters, including the average cost of a taxi service.
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In compiling the Taxi Price Index, Carspring researched the cost of hailing a taxi, the cost per kilometre, the cost of waiting time, and the typical fare for a taxi from the airport to the city centre.
It costs an average $8.31 in Dubai to reach the city centre from the airport. It was only outranked by Cairo ($4.20), Mumbai ($4.44), Tunis (4.49) and Tallinn ($7.32).
Tokyo took the top spot as the world's most expensive city to go from the airport to the centre, which at $189 is 22.7 times more expensive than Dubai's.
Affordability
“Nothing beats the relief of hopping into a comfortable taxi after a long day of sightseeing in a new city,” says Carspring CEO Maximilian Vollenbroich.
“But in some cities, this simply isn’t affordable, and in other places, tourists are at risk of being overcharged. We hope our research helps travellers prepare for safe, fun, and budget-friendly travel in whatever ride best suits them.”
Out of the 80 cities listed on the index, Dubai stood in the 45th place in the "flagdown" rate or initial hire category, at $2.95, compared to $2.93 for both Manchester and Toronton. The cheapest flagdown rate is Tunis at just $0.19.
The index also looked at what car model is most popular with taxi drivers in each city.
The index mentioned "Toyota Corolla" as being typical cab model in Dubai, never mind if the majority of the Dubai cabs are actually the much roomier Toyota Camrys or other mid-sized sedans.
Dubai Taxi Corp also uses a sizeable number of Hybrid Toyota Camrys and has announced plans to soon introduce 200 fully-electric Teslas to boost its fleet.
The index, however, did not list other UAE cities, like Abu Dhabi or Sharjah.
