Dubai: Taxi drivers may face fines for stopping in the middle of the road to pick up passengers but Dubai cabbies and commuters complain it is not possible to use always designated stops.
They said “Taxis Only” parking bays are few and far between.
Cabs stopping on the main road are a common sight but an official said the practice can invite fines — starting at Dh300 — for the driver.
Passengers regularly flag down cabs while standing on the edge of the road, with many taxis coming to a halt on the spot.
It sometimes causes traffic disruption and can be a safety risk as well, drivers admit.
“I don’t see this [on-road taxi parking] happening in Europe. We should have enough taxi stops in Dubai and both passengers and taxis should respect that,” said Indian expatriate Adnan Farhat.
“It can be dangerous to stop in the middle of the road, it’s not right. I guess the only alternative is to use a designated stop or call a cab to a location where it can pick you up from.”
However, that is not always possible, said taxi driver Mohammad Mustafa, a Bangladeshi national.
“There are not enough taxi stops. But if the driver uses caution, he can safely — and legally — stop on the road to pick up passengers,” Mustafa added.
An official from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) confirmed taxis can legally make such pick ups under certain conditions, with the safety and convenience of other road users taking precedence.
“In fact, this can be of great help to some people who can’t walk to the nearest stop. They may be elderly, have special needs, be with small children or have many bags. Of course this is only right when it’s safe to do so. We have company training on these matters,” Mustafa said.
“But some passengers are difficult, they want to be dropped off at a certain place, and expect drivers to stop right there. ‘The metre is running, please stop,’ they say.
“Some people don’t even know where the taxi stops are or if there’s a rule about it. And many taxi drivers just ignore the rules. They just want to make more money by picking up more passengers, no matter how.”
Gulf News recently spotted a number of taxis failing to pull over to the side of the road — or at the designated point at a mall entrance — to pick up roadside passengers. Mustafa added that cabbies, meanwhile, have to compete for space at designated stops.
“[A hotel] on Shaikh Zayed Road has only one taxi parking space, other places have only three or four spaces even though there is always a long line of taxis waiting. Sometimes private cars take up our spots, especially at Dubai Metro stations.
“On other occasions the police fine the driver if he is parked on the road because of the spillover at the designated stops. I would never break the rules, my passengers are my guests and I give them safety and respect.”
Adel Shakri, director of transportation systems at the RTA’s Public Transport Agency, said: “The taxi driver is permitted to make a stop on the way to pick up passengers only if it’s safe to do so as the stop should not obstruct traffic and not endanger road users. In case the taxi driver failed to make a safe stop, penalties will be applied on the driver.”
The first violation carries a Dh300 fine, a second offence costs Dh600 and a third offence Dh900.
The RTA did not specify the number of such fines or the number of designated taxi stops in Dubai.
“There are several stops available in Dubai to obtain a taxi to ensure the safety and security of all passengers and traffic users. For instance, public transport bus stops and taxi stops,” Shakri said.
