Silver taxis rule the streets of Abu Dhabi

After dominating streets for more than 20 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 9,000 silver taxi cabs.

The replacement started three years ago and only a few hundred old taxis are left on the road as more silver cabs roar on the streets of the busy city of nearly one million people. Although they are more expensive, the new cabs appear to be a source of relief to residents as they are cleaner, more organized and are flooding all roads to ease a long-standing transport headache for the public.

The transport problem has further been eased with the introduction of massive public buses that remind frequent travellers abroad of London or New York.

TransAd, a pool of several private sector transport firms, is managing the mammoth silver taxi fleet under the control of the Department of Transport.

During 2010, nearly 1,000 more of such cars are expected to be rolled on the roads to boost their total number to 8,147 taxis by the end of the year.
"This increase is part of the ongoing replacement plan, which is aimed at upgrading transport services to the public in Abu Dhabi city," Trans AD Director General Masoud Hashim told the Arabic language daily Al Khaleej.

TransAD had originally planned to withdraw all the nearly 8,000 old taxis in a year time but it then extended the plan to five years.

The old cabs have been owned by UAE nationals, who will be compensated for the loss of their cars. Under a compensation plan drawn up by the Department of Transport, each taxi owner will be entitled for Dh1,000 a month for 25 years while taxi drivers will be 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 seven taxi operators, including Tawasul Transportation Company, Cars Taxi, National Transportation Company, Al Ghazal Transport, Q-Link Transport, Emirates Taxi and Arabia Taxi.

Last month, the Company decided to raise fares to Dhone for every 750 metres covered against the former rate of Dhone for every 1,000 metres.It said the increase was prompted by the recent fuel price hikes.

"This increase in fares is the minimum limit that allows the operating companies to maintain a profit margin...despite this rise, the taxi fares in Abu Dhabi are still below those in other UAE cities and other countries," Hashim said.

"We approved that increase following complaints by the operating companies that they could suffer from losses because of the fuel price hike....this hike also means that drivers will not be able to make a reasonable income."

Despite the rise in fares, residents believe the new taxi services are far more comfortable and advanced than the old cabs.

"These taxis are cleaner, more organized and more disciplined....it is now much more easy to find a taxi and the drivers are well behaved and civilized," said Sami Aboushi, a Palestinian worker in an Abu Dhabi contracting company.

"I think these taxis have tackled a long-standing transport problem in Abu Dhabi," said Imad Hariri, a Syrian mobile phone dealer. "The drivers are also good, organized and clean...you can also see a hot phone number inside the car allowing you to complain for any problem you face."

In a statement last week, TransAD said it is planning to establish a massive "village" for its taxi cabs and employees, accommodating nearly 18,000 people and more than 6,000 vehicles at a time.

It said the project is intended to upgrade services by providing housing to drivers and other employees, management offices and maintenance for the cars.

"This taxi village is part of TransAD's plans to ensure discipline and better organization within the taxi services...it will help provide as many cars as possible to the public as it will also include parking for the taxis," it said.

The statement did not say where or when the project would be established but noted the newly-introduced silver taxi cabs in the Capital would increase to nearly 9,200 at the end of the replacement.

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