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29 March 2024

Dubai taxi drivers to undergo psychological tests

Published
By Wam

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), represented by Public Transport Agency, has recently signed an agreement with the British Council whereby prospective taxi drivers will undergo linguistic, psychological and behavioural tests as a pre-requisite for obtaining professional permits.

The step comes as part of the RTA’s strategy in forging partnerships to serve its objectives at world-class standards.

On behalf of the RTA Abdullah Yousef Al Ali, CEO of RTA Public Transport Agency signed the agreement, while Claire Grundy, Deputy Director of the British Council, signed on behalf of the British Council.

Attendees of the event included senior officials from the RTA, and Mark Elliott, Director of Business Development for South Asia at the British Council.

Al Ali said, "The agreement signed with The British Council represents a second test for potential taxi drivers, as they must first take the currently applicable approved test run by Amidest Company according to an agreement made last year. Pursuant to the new amendments introduced to the taxi-drivers recruitment system, applicants must fulfill certain conditions such as the basic knowledge of the English language, in addition to the new standards where applicants are subjected to five tests as part of psychological and behavioural tests, which represent the core of the agreement."

"The new standards will contribute to realising the RTA’s objective of reducing customers’ complaints from taxi drivers to 1 per cent per 100,000km. The RTA has managed to reduce it from 2.7 per cent in the past to 1.4 per cent per 100,000 km up to now. The new standards, which would attract highly efficient taxi drivers, underline the RTA’s keenness to realise its third strategic goal of ‘Bringing Happiness to People.’

"Taxi service in Dubai serves a broad spectrum of the community including citizens, residents, visitors and tourists. The emirate boasts of a prestigious standing as a global hub for trade, exhibitions and business, which warrants providing highest levels of taxi services," he added.

"Adopted by the British Council, APTIS system is a modern and affordable English assessment tool to assess and improve the English language proficiency of public transport staff, which contributes to shaping Dubai into a really global city," the Deputy Director of the British Council said.