• Home
• /
• UAE

Illegal cabs thrive as travel costs rise

The demand for a transport that is cheaper than the available taxi services, quicker than public transport, which is slowed down by its pick-up and drop-off points every few minutes, has soared with the increasing population in Dubai, giving rise to a phenomenon called 'Private Taxis'.

Prohibited by law and rightfully resented by licensed or metered taxi services, the 'private' and illegal taxis are not exactly unpopular with the members of the public, who might not go around looking for them but will also not cringe to hop into one if the opportunity is there. And it is this specific demand coupled with the opportunistic behaviour of the members of the public that has encouraged the illegal taxi business. Another major reason behind the increase in illegal taxis is a large volume of inter-emirate traffic, particularly between Dubai and Sharjah.

"Like in any metropolitan city, the life in the UAE in general and Dubai in particular is fast paced, as such people here are always on the move and impatient. Then there is the issue of economising, which for most expatriates is a pivotal factor in their lives here, and which will always include transportation on the top of their list," a resident of Sharjah who works in Dubai said. He added that given this situation, it is not surprising that many commuters are attracted to illegal taxis.

"There is no doubt that the public transport service in Dubai is efficient, comfortable and very economical, but it takes more time to reach one place from another on a public transport vehicle than a car. Where a car only faces jams and taffic signals, a public transport bus has to stop at a number of bus stops and usually follows a longer route to cover a bigger area," he said.

According to Nisar (name changed on request), another resident of Sharjah who works in Dubai, the hot and humid weather is also one of the reasons why people waiting at bus stops do not mind hopping into an illegal taxi.

Commenting specifically on the illegal taxi service between Sharjah and Dubai, Nisar said that since sharing taxis are easily available from various points in Sharjah, the illegal taxis mostly serve passenger travelling from Dubai (to Sharjah).

"There is a transport service from Dubai to Sharjah, but its routes and the drop-off points are a little inconvenient. Many passengers have to walk or take a taxi to reach their destination," Nisar pointed out.

Speaking to Khaleej Times on condition of anonymity, a motorist who uses his car to illegally transport passengers within Dubai said that he earns Dh3,000 to 4,000 every month. "I know it is illegal and I personally take no pride in doing this, but am left with no option," he said.

"My father set up a family business in Deira some 20 years ago, and it did well until a couple of years ago. When our office rent was hiked from Dh22,000 to Dh35,000 in less than a year's time, our business began to suffer and we finally wrapped it up," he said. He admitted that he had been caught and penalised by the authorities on six different occasions, and also had his car impounded for 30 days, within the past 16 months of his attempt at illegal taxi business.

Other such 'private' taxi owners had similar stories of financial ruin in business, losing a job or being cheated by a job consultant in their country of origin.

"We do hope that the issuing of the law to control and ban the use of private vehicles as taxis and the co-operate taxis will help reduce and eventually put an end to the illegal practice taking place across the city," said Ammar bin Tamim, Director of Administration, Marketing and Public Relations at Dubai Transport Corporation.

• UAE
• Dubai