Abu Dhabi tells old cabs to get off the road

The Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi has told the old white-and-yellow taxis to clear the emirate’s roads to give way to more than 8,000 new silver cabs, warning that offenders could be jailed and heavily fined.

TransAD, a DoT affiliate which manages six new taxi firms, said a deadline for the old cabs ended on December 31 and drivers of these cars found operating on the road would be jailed one months and fined Dh5,000.

“We call on all owners of those cars to come to TransAD offices to finish procedures to take these cars off the road to avert legal procedures against them,” it said in a statement, carried by the semi official daily Alittihad.

“TransAD inspects are authorized to take these procedures which include one month jail and a minimum fine of Dh5,000.”

After dominating streets for more than 30 years, Abu Dhabi’s famous white-and yellow taxis are now hardly noticed as they are reduced to trickles on the Capital’s neat roads to give way for cleaner and more organized silver cabs.

Like the famous yellow cabs in New York, the white-and-yellow taxis had been a transport hallmark in Abu Dhabi. But while the yellow cabs will continue to adorn the vast streets of the Big Apple, the capital’s traditional taxis will completely cease to exist when they are replaced by more than 8,000 silver taxi cabs.

The replacement started five years ago as part of overall development by the oil-rich emirate within its long-term strategy for greater Abu Dhabi dubbed Vision 2030.

The old cabs were owned by UAE nationals, who were compensated for the loss of their cars. Under a DoT compensation plan, each taxi owner was entitled for Dh1,000 a month for 25 years while drivers were tested for recruitment in the new taxi companies.

TransAD was set up in 2006 to carry out the replacement plan under the Department’s supervision. It manages six taxi operators, including Tawasul, National Transportation Company, Al Ghazal Transport, Q-Link Transport, Emirates Taxi and Arabia Taxi.

ALSO READ:

Busted: Sharjah car smuggling operation

Global Village rides closed after visitor’s death; 3 arrested

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.