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Tips to taxi drivers to be capped at 10% after enforcement of card payment system

All Dubai taxis to be fitted with credit card, NoL card machines; cash payments to be accepted.

Dubai — How often do you tip taxi drivers? Invariably most respondents whom Khaleej Times spoke to, said yes, they do tip. But there are certain deal breakers in tipping etiquette, according to the UAE Twitterati. All ‘bets are off the table’ if the taxi driver is poorly behaved, if he tail gates, uses the phone, and, worst of all, if the taxi smells bad.

Take British national and travel professional living in Dubai, Daniel Evans, for example.

Tipping happens by default for Evans, unless , “Let’s say the fare is 16, 17 or so, I’ll round up to 20 by default. However, the instant the driver fails to use indicators, swerves, tailgates or uses phone the- tip is gone and I’ll ask them for every last 50 fils coin in change.”

With the enforcement of the new card payment system in taxis, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has capped voluntary tipping at 10 per cent of the taxi fare, while paying using the cards.

For example, if the fare is Dh50, the maximum tip amount is Dh5. Senior officials in the RTA revealed that the testing for card payments in Dubai taxis began earlier last year in a limited number of cars. However, this year the Public Transport Agency (PTA) has installed the new card payment machines in the entire taxi fleet of Dubai.

Youself Al Ali, the CEO of PTA said: “We started testing and shifted to card payment, on a limited number of cars in 2014. The shift to card payment was implemented last year and now we have made the shift to all the taxis in Dubai.”

Al Ali said that the service is beneficial to taxi drivers, as well. “Passengers can tip the drivers using the card. Tipping however, is capped at 10 per cent of the taxi fare,” said Al Ali. Sue Stevens, UK national, who used to work for a US bank in the UAE said: “I’ve always tipped the taxi drivers. These guys earn a pittance and are away from their family for months (or years).”

Another Twitter user- @marcoalza said: “Always, unless they’ve taken a longer route, stink or are constantly on the phone.”  

Extra charge on cards

Passengers will be charged an additional Dh2 over the total fare while using their credit cards to pay Dubai taxi fare. Also, an additional fee of Dh1 will be charged on the NoL card. However, cash payments in taxis will continue. Most taxi users and commuters using this service told Khaleej Times that it is beneficial for people only because they do not have to carry cash around. But commuters also said that the additional tariff on the journey is a little expensive.

Commuters who spoke to Khaleej Times said the service has its pros and cons. Many argued that taxi service is expensive, while many others said that they can avoid carrying cash in this case. Mallika Sivani, an Indian national and a frequent user of taxis in Dubai said: “I’m still to come across a taxi that takes card as a form of payment. But I think it is beneficial only in the sense that people don’t have to carry a lot of cash in hand.” 

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com