How considerate are you in a taxi queue?

It is hot outside, walking is not an option. You decide to flag a cab, but none are appearing in even the furthest sight. When a taxi finally approaches it happens: another person jumps ahead of you and takes the ride. Gone is the cab.

Familiar? The scenario may sound a bit dramatic and surely it is not always as bad, but flag down etiquette when it comes to taxis in Dubai are an often discussed topic of frustration.

"Some people just do not respect the formation of a queue," said Mohammad Reza, an Iranian frequent taxi traveler.

Taxi queues are a common scene in Dubai. At locations where the hunt of a cab is almost continuous, passengers are queued up in a particular way, and taxis come and go to respond to the high volume of customers.

At malls or other popular tourist destinations the concept is clearly implemented. The facilities are there to streamline the process; the area has signs, perimeters and staff at place to give instructions. There is very little space to go wrong.

However, taxi queues are not everywhere evenly organised. In some places, there are no clear instructions, and it is up to the passengers’ due diligence to comply with the queueing etiquette.

“I believe that each taxi stand should have a marking on the ground to let people know where to line up. Getting rather frustrated with having people jump in front of others and fighting for a cab,” said Alan Georges, an ‘Emirates24|7’ reader and taxi traveller.

The frustration often rises at metro stations, where commuters are looking for a taxi ride to resume their travel. The location is provided with a taxi stand and cabs pass on a frequent basis, but there are no instructions on how to line up for the taxi.

“People just stand wherever they want to stand, and get in whenever a taxi stops in front of them. There is no such concept as queuing at these places,” knows Neesha Kapoor, a metro commuter.

A similar situation occurs in front of high-rise buildings. “In front of our building, there are many people waiting for a cab. But the street is long and there are a lot of flag down spots. If I decide to wait at one spot, another person can simply pass me and wait a distance ahead of me. The cab will reach that person first, even if I waited there longer,” said Mohammad.

“I believe it is common courtesy to allocate the available cab to the person who was there first. If a cabby stops in front of me although somebody else was there before me, I allow that person to take the taxi. But not everybody will do the same,” said Kapoor.

To avoid frustration, commuters are recommended to book a taxi when they know they will need one at a specific time and place.

Through the smart taxi app, a passenger can simply shake his/her phone and the Booking and Dispatch centre will receive a request from the exact location.

A call to the centre will also provide with a taxi, and can be done in advance.

Metro commuters can book a cab through SMS, and their ride will be available as they get out of the station. The passenger needs to type the details of metro line, the station where they want the taxi, and the entrance number of the station and send it to 4774.

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