Dubai Taxi revenues hit Dh 1.093bn in 2012

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), revealed that total operational revenues of the RTA-affiliated Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) clocked Dh1.093 billion in 2012, which compares favourably with Dh1.058 billion operational revenues generated in 2011.

Meanwhile, the operational expenses of the DTC incurred last year hit Dh749.765 million, and thus total revenues generated were Dh343.338 million.

Non-operational revenues were in the order of Dh83 million and non-operational expenses amounted to Dh48 million.

“Net profits raised by DTC soared from Dh114.695 million in 2010 to Dh146 million in 2011 and went further to hit Dh214.354 million in 2012.

“It is worth-mentioning that these profits have been realized after the deduction of franchise fees payable by DTC to RTA Public Transport Agency covering fees pertinent to number plates as well as booking & dispatch; which amounted to Dh163.837 million,” explained Al Tayer.

RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director was delighted with DTC’s performance indicators where the total number of trips made by taxicabs in 2012 hit 37.25 million trips at a daily average of 111,528 trips; which compares well with the total number of trips made in 2011 amounting to 33.562 million trips at an average rate of 100,486 trips per day.

The number of passengers lifted by DTC cabbies last year touched 74.5 million passengers compared with 67.124 million passengers lifted in 2011, recording in the process a growth rate of about 10 per cent.

“The Safe Hands Service launched by DTC in 2011 to meet the needs of the public, particularly children, ladies, school and college students, and special needs, as perceived through the ongoing customer needs surveys, saw a quantum shift last year with the number of trips made leapfrogging from 36,348 trips in 2011 to as much as 63,492 trips in 2012.

“Last year DTC launched two services; the first one was the VIP Service; which is a deluxe & exclusive service where 20 vehicles have been deployed starting off Terminal 3 of the Dubai International Airport, and the scope of the service is set to be broadened in the near future to cover vital districts of the Emirate.

“The other one was Mashaweer Service where drivers, with no cars, are provided to companies and families.

Last year the DTC Training Center was accredited to train & qualify taxi drivers to serve the needs of DTC and franchise companies, and the Center was qualified enough to obtain a permit of the Department of Economic Development to act as a learning institute.

The Center got its modules certified by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority and was internationally certified by the UK-based Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The Center held 41 courses to qualify 820 novice drivers recruited by DTC and Franchise Companies, and rehabilitated 3055 cabdrivers who had previously triggered traffic accidents, or were subject of complaints received from customers.

The DTC has also rolled out an initiative to streamline the periodic vehicle service schedules to address the peak service time of taxicabs, and focus on carrying out internal maintenance and repairs within DTC’s own repair workshop; which has consequently carried out 58,876 preventive maintenance process, and 23,370 repair maintenance jobs.

Al Tayer reiterated that the RTA would continue to work through the DTC to improve customer service experience to keep abreast of the regional and international profile of Dubai in all business, service, financial, real estate and tourist sectors among others.

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