Some private taxis are plying illegally

“But crackdown on private taxis in the emirate still remains to be fully implemented,” says an STC official.

At present, the STC is able to gradually end private taxis by not renewing their licences. “The STC’s plan can only be fully implemented when all the remaining taxi drivers come to the corporation to have their licences renewed, but not all are doing this,” said the official. “The corporation cancels the licence instead of renewing it, and in the process continues with their plan,” he added.

He also said that this was hampering the corporation’s plan to phase out the 3,000 private taxis that had been operating in the emirate. While most taxi drivers have already left the corporation and have either headed home or have taken up jobs with the new taxi companies, several others are still reluctant to let go.

Shying away from questions, a private taxi driver, when asked as to when the STC had asked him to stop operating, replied pertinently: “Anyway, they have taken away our only source of earning, so I will continue running my taxi until my vehicle is impounded.” He also said that since petrol prices had increased, they too had to increase their fares which had discouraged customers.

“Business is tough in Sharjah now because several new taxis have come up, and they are posing much competition. The STC has allowed us to operate only till our licence expires,” he said.

Officials from the STC said that the corporation had launched a plan in 2004 to phase out a total of 3,000 private taxis in the emirate and replace them with new metered taxis. Of the 5,400 private taxis operating in Sharjah, the corporation phased out a total of 3,000 in 2004, and replaced 3,000 taxis operated by four franchise companies. In 2005, 2,400 taxis were phased out, while the franchised companies started off with 750 taxis each.