Cab crunch puts Al Ain residents on the edge

Al Ain: Residents have been hit hard by an acute shortage of taxis in this city, as complaints pour in about cabbies over overcharging and being rude to customers.

It is difficult to find a taxi during peak hours and people say they have to wait for hours in the extreme summer weather to avail transport.

Many believe the crisis is caused by two factors - the introduction of new taxi system and the growth in population.

Al Ain has been witnessing rising traffic on its roads, as more and more people move in from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, seeking cheaper places to stay.

Cashing in

As a result, those driving the old taxis seem to be taking advantage of the increased demand and are reportedly overcharging passengers.

S.K. Joseph, an Indian expatriate, said: "I paid double the normal fare to go to my residence in Kuwaitat from the main street." He alleged that drivers also misbehave if the passengers object.

"Authorities must take immediate notice of the situation," he said, stressing the need for more taxis. Joseph said the arbitrary fare problem only pertains to the old taxis. The new taxis are fewer and harder to find.

New system

Seven companies have been operating taxis in the city since November last year, under the umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Centre for Regulation of Transport (TransAD). The authorities have also stopped issuing fresh licences for old taxis since January under a plan to phase them out.

Diversions are also a new headache for people in the downtown area, where they have been causing long traffic jams.

Sources in the taxi companies said the unavailability of trained drivers is a major problem.

Abdul Kareem, a Pakistani expatriate, suggested that the Traffic Police organise workshops or training sessions for taxi drivers. "Taxi drivers must be trained to be polite and courteous to all passengers. This is the demand of their profession as they are providing a service," he said.