Does your cabbie know your destination? If not, ask for GPS...

How often do you find yourself explaining to a cab driver where your exact location is, or calling a friend who knows how to lead the driver there, so he can speak to him on the phone?

Quite often, the explanation does not guarantee a success. You may be dropped off at the wrong place, in the vicinity of but not exactly at the location or get lost half way, requiring to ask other cabbies for directions.

Would it all not be much easier of only there was a GPS system in every taxi?

Surprisingly, there is. Or at least there should be.

"The other day, I jumped into a taxi when my own car had broken down. I explained the location to the driver. He took off, but half-way through he told me that he could not find the place. I asked him to use his GPS, but he did not do so," said Abdelaziz Al Ali, an Emirati resident.

"I finally took matters in my own hand, and I entered the address of my location in the GPS system. It perfectly explained how we should get there. I do not understand why this system is not used."

Currently, every taxi in Dubai should have a GPS system in the vehicle, confirms as source within the Road and Transport Authority. "Theoretically, this GPS system should guide you to any given location in Dubai.

"If there is difficulty reaching the location, suggest entering your address in the system," advises the source.

However, this seems more easily said than done. "I do not have a GPS system," says one taxi driver upon hearing the request. "I used to have one, but a have an updated meter now and the GPS system is not included in this meter."

In other cases, the customer is not aware of the presence of a GPS system in cabs. "The other day, I got lost in a taxi. I lost my patience and got out of the car and took a second taxi, which did know the location. It was only one street further ahead. I paid Dh10 for that one street-ride.

"Had I known that there is supposed to be a GPS system in every taxi, this would have made my journey a lot easier," says Annabeth Taylor, an American resident.

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