DTC taxi drivers may go on strike again over new target

Local commuters may soon face a crisis, of-sorts: The Dubai Transport Corporation (DTC)

Asma Ali Zain

Published: Mon 24 Apr 2006, 10:50 AM

Last updated: Tue 22 Nov 2022, 3:38 PM

Taxi drivers have threatened to go on strike, in protest against the corporation's decision to raise their daily passenger fare target by another Dh25.

And this, within a short span of three months.

The drivers say that within the past three months, the DTC has increased this target by Dh50. In January, the daily passenger fare target was increased from Dh333 to Dh350. It was further increased to the present Dh375.

“This high target is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve,” said a DTC driver requesting anonymity. “If this trend continues, we may strike in protest against the latest hike,” he confided.

He added, this unrealistic target can perhaps be met only if the already over-worked taxi drivers work round-the-clock. “Less than a 24-hour shift means there will be penal deductions because of our failure to meet the target."

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Ammar bin Tamim, DTC's Director of Administration Affairs, said “We increased the target three days ago but no taxi driver complained then. We meet 20 of their representatives every month. This decision too was taken only after consulting them.”

Tamim added, the commission offered to taxi drivers was also being increased by five per cent. “At present, the drivers get a 30 per cent commission every month. We have now increased their daily target, but we have also increased their monthly commission from 30 to 35 per cent."

“This is a free country, and if these taxi drivers wish to go on a strike again, they can do so,” he added. Citing no relevant rationale for the increase, Tamim hinted that the increase may be to offset the increase in fuel prices.

In January, 4,000 DTC taxi drivers went on strike at their labour camp listing a catalogue of grievances and submitting a list of demands to the management.

The protest ended when a letter from the Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs in Dubai was delivered to the camp guaranteeing that the issues listed would be investigated and solved within four days. “After the January strike, the company has improved in the sense that there are less deductions now, but this increase in the target might force us to protest again.

PSM Habibulla, joint managing director of CARS Taxi, a company operating under the DTC umbrella said, “Though we are not planning the increase our targets in the near future, we usually do follow in the corporation’s tracks.”