How to book a taxi in Dubai: Apps, fares and the cheapest way to travel
From hailing an RTA taxi on the street to booking through approved apps, here's everything you need to know about taxi fares and booking options
Dubai: New to Dubai? Whether you're a resident commuting to work or a visitor exploring the city, booking a taxi in Dubai is quick and convenient, with several options made available by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). From hailing a cab on the street to booking one through an app, here's a guide to the different ways you can get a taxi in Dubai, and how it can affect your final taxi fare.
How to get a taxi in Dubai
There are two main ways in which you can get a taxi in Dubai:
- Hail an RTA taxi on the road
- Book one through any of the approved apps
Hailing a taxi on the road
When looking to flag down a taxi on the road, all you need to do is look for the beige coloured taxis that are easily identifiable, with a taxi sign mounted on top of the vehicle. While the taxi’s body is mainly beige, the colour of the roof can vary, depending on which taxi company it belongs to.
Getting a taxi this way is also slightly cheaper, as the flag fall rate is lower than when you book a taxi online.
The only precaution you should take in such situations, though, is to ensure you only get into a taxi that is operated by the RTA. The RTA recently warned residents and visitors to not use unlicensed taxi service providers, as it doesn’t just put your safety and rights at risk, but can also lead to legal consequences.
What do the different coloured roofs mean?
The different roof colours indicate what type of taxi you are booking or which company might be operating the taxi fleet:
- Pink taxi - This is the 'Families and Ladies Taxi', driven by female drivers. It is exclusively for women passengers or families.
- Red roof - If you see a taxi with a red roof, this means that it is part of the Dubai Taxi Corporation fleet, which is the biggest taxi fleet in Dubai.
- Blue/Purple roof - These are taxis operated by Kabi, formerly known as Cars Taxi.
- Yellow roof - These are taxis operated by the National Taxi company.
- Green roof - These are taxis operated by Arabia Taxi
- Orange roof - These are taxis operated by Metro taxi
Ride-hailing apps
There are also private service providers that have been approved by the RTA to provide taxi services in Dubai. If you book a taxi through one of these ride hailing apps, though, the car will not have the Dubai taxi colours.
The app, though, will provide details of the car that is booked to pick you up – including the car model, vehicle plate number and the driver’s name.
How to book a taxi online
These are all the apps that you can use to book a taxi in Dubai:
- S’hail app – this is RTA’s official journey planning app. To book a taxi, simply select the location you wish to reach and select the option for taxi, instead of public transport.
You will have the option to select the vehicle type (Standard taxi, women taxi or van) before confirming your booking.
- Careem – through the Careem app, you can book either a Hala taxi or a regular Careem ride. Hala taxis are a special service provided by Careem, in collaboration with the RTA, and are easily identifiable as they have a similar beige colour to RTA taxis.
A regular Careem ride, on the other hand, would not have the RTA taxi colours, as it is part of the Careem fleet.
Some of the other apps are:
- ‘My DTC’ – the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) App
- Bolt
- Zed
- Uber
- Yango
Understanding your taxi fare
Taxi fares in Dubai vary depending on the type of taxi service you need, the booking channel, trip origin, and time of day.
Starting fare schedule
Road pickup: If you hail a taxi from the road, these are the base fares that would apply:
For regular taxis, family taxis or Hatta taxi:
- 6am - 10pm: AED 5
- 10pm - 6am: AED 5.50
For People of Determination taxis:
- 6am - 10pm: AED 8
- 10pm - 6am: AED 9
Online bookings: The flag fall rate for online bookings can vary from AED 9 to AED 13, depending on whether you are booking the taxi during peak or off-peak hours.
Airports and Ports: If you book a regular taxi from Dubai Airport, the starting fare is AED 20.
If you book a van from Dubai Airport, the starting fare is AED 25.
If you take a taxi from Port Rashid, the starting fare is AED 25.
Some other fares to keep in mind
Your total taxi fare is calculated based on the following fees:
- Base fare (or flag fall rate)
- Kilometre charge
- Taxi waiting time charge (in case the driver is asked to wait for a long period by the customer)
- Fee for entering Sharjah (if applicable)
- Fee for entering Port Rashid area (if applicable)
- Salik fee (if you take a Salik route)
- Fee for entering DARB - Abu Dhabi tool gate (if applicable)