295 more Hala taxis on road this year

The popular Hala taxi fleet will be increased with the addition of 295 new Hala cabs, confirmed the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) in a statement to Emirates24|7.

Currently, 155 cabs make up the fleet of Hala Taxi, which was introduced in November this year to serve the increasing number of people contacting the Booking and Dispatch Center. The black-and-grey taxis only respond to bookings made through the Booking and Dispatch Center, contrary to the regular taxi, which may respond to customers on the street.

“In the second quarter of this year the fleet will be extended with 295 new cabs, said Adel Shakeri, Director of Transportation Systems at the Public Transport Agency of the RTA.

Hala Taxi has proven to be a successful addition to the taxi network of Dubai. While the total number of taxi bookings made during the first quarter of this year was 1,272,276, Hala Taxi service handled 222,807 of these bookings, which accounts for 18 per cent.

“This reflects the role of the new service in catering to the needs of the Booking and Dispatch Center clients,” commented Shakeri.

Meanwhile, the total number of taxi trips saw an increase of 5 per cent compared to last year, announced the RTA yesterday. In the first quarter of 2014, a total of 26,142,496 trips were carried out, while this amounted to 25,022,423 trips in the same period last year.

The number of taxi users during the first quarter of this year reached 45,487,943 passengers; reflecting a 4 per cent growth rate from the same period last year where it lifted 43,539,290 passengers.

The demand for taxis in Dubai is growing rapidly. Currently, there are 8,700 taxis on the road, a number which is continuously under review. Due to an increasing number of residents and visitors in the emirate, the development of new communities and large events the Dubai fleet must always be adjusted, explained Al Shakeri earlier.

In August last year, the taxi density in the emirate stood at 3.8 taxis per 1,000 residents, a little lower than similar areas such as Singapore, as Youssef Al Ali, CEO of the Public Transportation Authority at RTA explained.

Apart from the 295 new Hala Taxis, an additional 155 regular taxis should be added to the fleet in the first half year of 2014, according to earlier reports.

The number of calls received by the Booking and Dispatch Center during the first quarter of this soared by 20 per cent reporting 2,039,926 calls, whereas the number was 1,689,444 calls during the first quarter of last year.

“This achievement has been made available thanks to the use of one of the most sophisticated and accurate technological systems worldwide, known as the Dispatcher System (D8). This system is viewed as the backbone of monitoring taxi operations in Dubai Emirate,” noted Shakeri.

Through the D8 system, the RTA monitors the movement of taxis. Speeding violations, the number of trips, the average time per trip, and the location of taxi drivers can all be seen through the smart solution, he explained.

“The improvement of arrival time is difficult to measure, as the demand of taxis is growing simultaneously. The time the taxi needs to get to a customer depends on three factors: the location, the number of taxis available and traffic.”

Based on statistics, the RTA has remapped the emirate into smart zones. Previously, the RTA considered 70 zones, which are now 200 zones. "These zones are not only linked to space, but also to traffic and demand. For example, Emirates Hills is a large area with low demand, but counts as one zone. Another zone might consist of a much smaller area but with high traffic volumes."

Finally, the taxi demand is expected to increase more due to the introduction of the card payment system, which is especially set to meet the demand of tourists in Dubai.

By mid-2015, all taxis in Dubai should have the new payment options available. Once the technology is in place, passengers will have four payment options - cash, debit card, credit card or Nol card. The RTA expects the initiative to increase taxi travel in the emirate by 0.5 per cent.

“The taxi business is seeing remarkable growth in Dubai, thanks to rising demand from residents and tourists. The demand is especially high during peak seasons when Dubai hosts conventions, exhibitions and fairs, said Al Ali when the system was introduced.

Interesting stats provided by RTA earlier:

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