RTA expands trial taxi ride-sharing services

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is set to expand the scope of its taxi ride-sharing service for a six-month trial period.

The decision follows the success the initiative has achieved since its launch last year, providing shared taxi trips from Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai to Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi. 

Providing further details, Adel Shakri, Director of Planning and Business Development at RTA’s Public Transport Agency, said, “Since its launch last year, the shared taxi service operating between Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai and Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi has recorded a huge increase of 228 per cent in the number of riders choosing it for travel between the two emirates.

"This strong demand has encouraged us to expand the service on a trial basis to include two additional locations: Al Maktoum International Airport, with routes to Dubai Marina Mall, Business Bay Metro Station and Palm Jumeirah – Atlantis Monorail Station, and Dubai World Trade Centre, with routes to Business Bay Metro Station, Al Satwa Bus Station and Dubai Marina Mall.”

Shakri added, “The decision to introduce new locations on trial basis follows field studies and a detailed analysis of potential routes for the taxi ride-sharing service in the emirate. The objective is to reduce fare costs for riders, particularly those who rely on this mode of transport within Dubai.”

One of the key objectives RTA aims to achieve through the initiative is helping to reduce traffic congestion by enabling multiple riders to share a single taxi.

This approach contributes to smoother traffic flow and provides clear environmental benefits, including reducing the carbon footprint. 

The service has also helped curb unlicensed transport while offering riders safe, smooth and comfortable mobility onboard RTA taxis, which are equipped with features that enhance passenger safety and comfort, such as cameras linked to the Operations Control Centre as well as cameras that monitor driver performance.