MyAdhan Blog

Link: UAE: Cabs now an ‘SMS’ away

Getting a taxi in Dubai is now just an ‘SMS’ away. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on Monday introduced taxi stand (rank) numbers, modelled on the Singapore taxi service system, for different locations. The passenger could send an SMS to the toll-free number 4774 mentioning the number of the taxi stand where he or she is waiting, said Abdul Aziz Malik, CEO of Dubai Taxi. The majority of taxi drivers now find it difficult to track down the locations of the passengers, ultimately resulting in long and frustrating waiting. Malik explained the ‘taxi ranks’: The authority has given rank numbers to 54 locations or taxi stands in various congested areas of the emirate; every stand will have an area code. A passenger waiting for a cab in a particular stand will have to SMS to 4774 the area code, which would be mentioned on the boards installed at each stand. “The passenger would receive an acknowledgement message from the RTA and a taxi would pick the passenger up from the exact spot within minutes. For instance, Rank No. 1 stands for Century Mall in Al Mamzar, 2 for Al Hamriya Shopping Centre in Hor Al Anz East, and 3 for Abu Hail Centre in Hor Al Anz East. Altogether, 54 areas have been earmarked as taxi stands in the emirate. Each stand will have an information board listing the rank numbers and respective areas, the SMS number and the toll-free booking numbers of all taxi companies operating in the emirate. “If a passenger does not find a cab at any of the stands, he/she can also call up any of the dispatch centres of any taxi company and give the rank number to the customer service agent. “The RTA will track the nearest taxi and give the driver the message. The GPS meter system in the taxis will have the information about all rank numbers and the locations. The driver will not have to search for a particular location and could reach the exact spot easily,” Malik said. This would drastically reduce the waiting time for the passengers, Essa Al Dossari, CEO of the Public Transport Agency, said. “The people will be informed about the rank numbers and locations through media campaigns. This is just Phase -1 and the next phase will see more areas included. “There is no fixed number of taxis for each rank. The driver, who is the nearest, would be contacted and asked to go to the particular stand. Taxis would also be waiting for passengers at some stands like in the shopping malls, hotels etc,” he said.