Taxis are a ubiquitous and necessary sight on the streets of the UAE. For many who are visiting or only need cars on limited occasions, they are a far more affordable alternative to owning or renting a vehicle. The average cost of using a taxi in Abu Dhabi, however, is likely to increase greatly in the near future with the introduction of a new taxi service that is aimed at targeting more wealthy clientele by offering them rides in expensive luxury cars.
Uber Taxi, a taxi provider that has existed (and been quite profitable) in Dubai for years now, is officially rolling out a fleet of cabs in Abu Dhabi. The minimum fare for a ride in one of these cabs will be Dh35, and service will be billed at a rate of either Dh2.5 per kilometer or Dh1.5 depending on the vehicle’s speed. This is, of course, considerably higher than the price of currently available taxis, so this service will not be available to everyone.
Uber Taxi’s fleet will consist entirely of luxury cars such as the Audi A6 and various BMW models, though the company does not actually own its cars. It simply offers a downloadable app that connects potential customers with licensed taxi operators. To book a cab, a person must simply download the app, find a local car and wait to be picked up. The user can then track the location of the vehicle with the app. After their trip is complete, the customer can then rate the driver on a 1-5 scale based on their service, ensuring accountability and professional service in the future. The company is currently operating in 17 different countries, so their experience and the quality of the service they offer will likely make them a viable competitor in Abu Dhabi’s cab market.
This new luxury service is not, however, without its downsides. With more taxi operators opting to use expensive luxury vehicles and become part of the Uber Taxi service, the number of affordable standard taxi cabs available to the average person in Abu Dhabi will likely dwindle. It is already incredibly difficult to find and flag down a cab during rush hour, but this task may become practically impossible in the future if most cabs end up costing DH35 a ride and must be booked in advance with a credit card via a Smartphone app.
(Information for this article came from thenational.ae)
