Sharjah: Sharjah Transport has started penalising taxi drivers who swindle passengers by tampering with taxi meters.
The move came after the taxi company received complaints that taxi drivers were illegally charging additional amounts for Salik costs and tampering with meters.
"An investigation will be carried out and if there is evidence of the meter being tampered with, we will take strict action that also includes terminating the driver's services," Mohammad Al Karam, head of quality control services at Sharjah Transport, told Gulf News.
Fines
He explained that according to the transport authority's regulations, drivers will first be slapped with a fine of Dh1,000 and their services will be terminated if it happens again. If drivers unnecessarily add extra charges, they will be fined Dh500.
"We monitor the tariff meters through several technical methods, and quality control officers are responsible for checking the vehicles' journeys and the charges made that day. When a passenger gets in the taxi, the driver should switch on the red lights that are found on top of the car, and inspectors carry out their rounds across the emirate to ensure that the rules are being followed," he said.
Quick profit
A number of passengers have recently complained about dishonest taxi drivers in Sharjah who have been making a quick profit at their expense.
J.P., a resident of Dubai, was surprised that a driver charged her Dh5 for Salik when she used a Sharjah-based taxi to travel from Sharjah to Dubai.
"The driver initially charged me an additional Dh20 to cross the border but when I pointed out that the meter had already started at that amount, he then claimed that he wanted extra money for the Salik costs," she said.
According to a senior official at Sharjah Transport, taxi drivers are not required to charge passengers for passing through the toll gate.
Marlon Morales, a resident of Sharjah, claimed that when he took a taxi to Deira City Centre, the driver allegedly suggested not using the meter and instead offered a flat rate of Dh40.
"He still pressed the meter to run just in case he was stopped by Dubai Police, and then turned the meter's screw back and forth to make it run faster and slower during our journey. What these drivers are doing is not beneficial for passengers at all because they can cheat everybody," he said.
Report
To report any cases against taxi drivers, call 700067000 or the call centre at 600545455
