Residents concerned over increased taxi fares in capital from Sunday

Abu Dhabi: The recently-announced increases in taxi fares, effective from Sunday for all silver taxis in the capital, were greeted with concern by frequent cab users.

"I already spend 35 per cent of my salary on transport. How much more can I pay?" Mahmoud Ebrahim, a 25-year-old sales clerk said.

Ebrahim works in Marina Mall and resides in the Tourist Club Area. He said he has to use taxis to travel to work every day.

"I spend nearly Dh1,500 a month just on transport, out of which I use Dh30 to go to and come back from work every day. So this increased fare will be a huge burden for me, especially in Ramadan," Ebrahim said.

The revised taxi fares will charge Dh1 for every 750 metres compared to the former rates of Dh1 for every 1,000 metres, according to the statement issued by The Centre for Regulation of Transport by Hire Cars (TransAD).

The flag fall or fixed starting fee for the first 250 metres of the journey remains unchanged at Dh3 during the day and Dh3.60 at night.

Although the statement issued by TransAD said the increase was ‘symbolic', residents like Ebrahim told Gulf News that they were worried about the increase in their expenses as a result of the increased fares.

S.Z., a 24-year-old accountant from China, was also troubled when she was told about the proposed increase.

"I don't drive and I live in Mussaffah. So every time I need to go shopping, I have to use a taxi. This fare hike is not good at all, as it will make it very hard for me to pay for my transport every month," she said.

S.Z. also said that she already spent nearly 30 per cent of her salary on her monthly transport needs.

Another resident, H. Samir, 21, said that people in the capital who use taxis frequently already spent enough of their income on transport.

"Most of the people who use taxis cannot afford to buy their own cars. So even if the increase in fares seems insignificant, it is a big deal for residents over the long run," Samir said.

Taxi drivers in the capital, however, hailed the move by TransAD, saying it would help them reach their targets more easily.

S.M., who has been working for six months with one of the taxi operators, said she found it very hard to reach her targeted revenue despite working 15 hours a day.

Still short

"Last month, I was still short of Dh800. If I get a little more per trip, maybe I can actually earn the revenue," she said.

S.M. also said she was a little worried about whether fewer residents would use taxis given the increased fares.

A 37-year-old taxi driver from Pakistan, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was happy about the increased tariffs "in a way", because it was very hard for him to meet his monthly target revenue.

Travel: Prices go up

• Dh3 for first 250 metres: 6am to 9.59pm
• Dh3.60 for first 250 metres: 10pm to 5.59am
• Dh1 for every 750 metres (after the first 250 metres)
• 50 fils for every minute of waiting time, first five minutes free

Source: TransAD