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Cabbies take people for ride

SHARJAH — People depending only on taxis for travelling during the Eid holidays, had a tough time this weekend. Besides having to bear with taxi drivers having lots of attitude, several commuters waited hours for taxis to show up.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, several commuters alleged that taxi drivers took unnecessarily longer routes just to mint money during the Eid holidays.

“I had to travel from Al Nahda to King Faisal Road. After a long wait, when I finally got a taxi, he argued with me and then purposely took a route longer than the normal, just to make money, I am sure,” said Faisal Ahmed.

Long waiting periods for taxis also forced commuters to go to their destinations on foot.

“I waited for more than an hour for a taxi in Abu Shagara area, but then finally I called up my husband who was very busy, to pick me up as I could not find a taxi,” said Fareen Mustafa. “I usually use a taxi everyday, so I am very familiar with their behaviour,” she added.

Said Baloch: “I understand that taxi drivers too are humans, and they need a break, especially during holidays. But the way they behave with travellers does not prove any point. In such a case, I suggest that they take an off instead of taking out their ire on passengers.”

Defending his colleagues, Mohammed Khan, who drives a private taxi said: “Even taking a day off means that we lose Dh100 in a day. This much money we cannot afford.”

He also said that since the Sharjah Transport Corporation (STC) introduced metre taxis, we have run out of business. “We are not being allowed to increase our taxi fare from Dh5 even though the petrol prices have increased. The corporation tells us that because we have a time period of only few months, after which all private taxis will be replaced, so we cannot increase the fare,” said Khan.

“This and other factors including day-long driving results in tiredness which might be taken out on passengers, but please remember that we are humans,” he added.