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29 March 2024

Pets in Dubai taxi may be allowed

Published
By Majorie Van Leijen and Sneha May Francis

A proposition to allow pets in taxis in the emirate of Dubai is under study, said Youssef al Ali, CEO of Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC).

Currently, no pets are permitted in the taxis supervised by the DTC, regardless of their size, species or loving nature.

This has caused frustration among pet owners without their own means of transportation, as there is no other mode of mobility available to pets.

"It is not only the taxi; pets are not allowed on any public transportation mode. How are we supposed to get around then?" said Jenny Carr, a South African resident who lives with her two cats in Al Barsha.

"It does not happen very often. But when I do need to bring them out to the vet for example, I am literally stuck."

Johan Klaus, a German owner of a Rottweiler in Dubai is facing the same problem. "When I go on holiday, I like to take my dog with me. But I cannot take a cab to the airport as he is not allowed I'm there. I have to ask a friend to drop me, and pick me up when I return. "

Some veterinarians are offering their customers a pick up service when the animal that is to be seen by a doctor is critically ill.

Although this helps, it is not only in case of illness that owner and pet are on the go, knows Arthur Obyrne, who runs a pet taxi service in Dubai.

With his business he tapped into an unserved demand in the market. “I spoke to vets and animal clinics, and they all informed about this struggle. While some clinics offer transport only to their patients, it wasn’t enough. So, I decided to step in," he told Emirates 24|7.

We are considering to offer this service. It is currently under study. However, at the moment the transport of pets in taxis is not permitted at all, clarified Al Ali.

There is no fine related to the transport of pets by taxis as it is simply not allowed, he added.

The DTC operates its own batch of taxis, and regulates the operation of a number of franchise taxi companies.

Besides this, there are several private taxi companies that operate in Dubai.