Abu Dhabi: Passengers arriving at Terminal 2 of Abu Dhabi International Airport have been badly hit by a shortage of taxis.
Many air travellers told XPRESS they have to endure long waits before they can get a cab.
“Last Friday evening I waited for more than half an hour. There was not a single cab at the airport. It was very frustrating,” said Indian expat Prahlad Menon, 34, who flew in from Cochin on an Air India Express flight.
Stranded
Pakistani expat Usman Habib, 24, said he was stranded at the airport for about 45 minutes when he reached Abu Dhabi on a post midnight PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) flight from Karachi around two weeks back.
“There were no signs of a taxi. It was getting late so I took an illegal taxi. There were some other passengers and we split the bill. I know it’s against the law, but I had no choice,” said Habib, who works as a carpenter.
Last November, the Department of Transport (DoT) said a fleet of 165 luxury taxis will be available round the clock at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
The distinct black colour car fleet which includes the seven-seater Mercedes Vito is mostly stationed at Terminals 1 and 3.
Toyota Camry cabs were announced for Terminal 2, which caters to low cost carriers like Air India Express, PIA, Kish Airlines, Biman Airlines and Shaheen Air.
Passengers said they are hardly seen. “The only cabs that are available are those that come in to drop off departing passengers,” said a Iranian woman.
“I wish they could either introduce a bus service into the city or have more taxis here,” she added. There are 7,140 taxis in Abu Dhabi aside from those assigned to the airport.
