Abu Dhabi taxi drivers suffer as fare hike affects business

Taxi drivers in the Capital are facing the heat after the recent tariff revision that saw minimum charge shoot up to Dh12 from Dh3.5.
New rates were applicable from June 1 and ever since drivers have been left chasing passengers, who now increasingly prefer bus service over taxis.
The new flag-down rate is Dh5 up from Dh3.5 for daytime trips and Dh5.5 from Dh4 for night trips but passengers need to shell a minimum of Dh12 for each ride.
A taxi driver, Mohammed Jaber, said his daily collections have been severely affected.
"My collection is down. If I used to get 50-55 passengers a day, now it's down to 20-25. I can't blame the passengers though. If you are told to pay Dh12 for a distance of Dh4, this kind of reaction is expected," Jaber said.
Another driver Sujit pointed out going forward things could get worse.
"This has been among the most challenging week for me in past 4-5 years. Especially considering this is the first week of the month and people have money in their pocket. I am worried about what the situation will be by the third and last week of the month."
The past week has also seen operation of illegal taxis becoming more organised and active. Now the illegal taxis, which used to ply long distance, have started shuttling short trips. The development is something echoed by Saravan, a taxi driver.
"Now, I see illegal taxis openly operating short trips. Earlier they would only ply to Mussafah and Shahama, now you can find them almost in every bus stop and running short trips too. This is damaging for taxi drivers like me as they steal my customers."
Abu Dhabi residents gauge new taxi fare hike
Lately, Abu Dhabi Police in coordination with Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport arrested many culprits using private cars illegally to transport passengers.
Taxi drivers are hopeful that with summer temperature soaring, passengers will be returning to them.
Suresh Kumar, a driver, said: "I knew it was an unwelcome move for passengers. It's a tough start for us. However, if this is sign of days to come, my Gulf dream is over. The coming few months are crucial."
The decision implemented on June 1 was approved by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and was made as part of efforts to boost the quality of service provided to passengers, official at the Abu Dhabi Integrated Transport Center had said in a statement.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com