No pre-booking taxi in Dubai today

If you are planning your trip through Dubai by taxi on New Year’s Eve, there is little more you can do than hoping to find one when you are ready to go out, pre-bookings are not available today.

It is not possible to book a taxi in advance in the hours getting close to New Year’s Eve, said the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

A customer representative of the Dubai Taxi Cooperation informed that it has stopped accepting pre-booking orders since 12am on Tuesday 30st December, and it is not until 8am on Thursday 1st January that the service becomes available again.

Booking a taxi in advance is not an option during special events such as New Year’s Eve, explained the RTA earlier, arguing that at busy times like these the timely arrival of a taxi cannot be promised.

Similarly, pre-bookings are not available during peak hours on regular days. In between morning 7am and 10am and evening 5pm and 8pm no taxis will be booked at any other time than ‘right now’.

When opting for a taxi ride to the New Year’s Eve destination, customers can book a taxi at the time they need it, although longer waiting times are expected.

The best option would be to vent out and try to spot a taxi on the road, as all taxis in Dubai will be operative tonight.

Flagging down a cab will cost the customer a Dh5 starting fare plus the cost of the trip, with a minimum fare of Dh12 for any trip.

When booking a taxi through the Booking and Dispatch Center, the rates are higher; during off-peak hours the starting fare is Dh8 and during peak hours this is Dh12, which will apply during New Year’s Eve.

Coordination is in hand with all franchise taxi operators (Dubai Taxi, Cars Taxi, Arabia Taxi, National Taxi and Metro Taxi) and a total of 8,997 taxis will operate round-the-clock on New Year’s Eve, said the RTA. 

Taxis will not be available next to Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall tonight for the security and safety of the public and to ease vehicular congestion in the area, informed the RTA.

Last year 618,473 commuters were recorded using the taxi on December 31, with 367,368 taxi passengers recorded in the evening alone and 16,225 riders picked up from Burj Khalifa –Dubai Mall Station.

New Year’s Eve is by far the busiest day for Dubai taxis and public transportation in general.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.