Source: www.rta.ae
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched a new and vital service considered the first of its kind in Dubai Emirate targeting taxi sector billed as “HALA Taxi” and tailored to handle the incoming booking requests at the Booking & Dispatch Center of RTA Public Transport Agency.
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, commented on the new service saying: “The launch of HALA Taxi echoes RTA’s commitment to upgrade the taxi service experience in the Emirate through launching a dedicated & unique taxi service in an effort to meet the growing number of requests received at the Dispatch Center to keep pace with the launch of a host of vital projects set to be undertaken by the RTA in future. Under the initial phase of the service about (155) taxicabs will be deployed as of 1 November to coincide with RTA’s celebration of its Public Transport Day (PTD) 4th Edition 2013.”
The RTA unveiled HALA Taxi service in a press conference held yesterday at the Maydan Hotel in the presence of Dr. Yousef Al Ali, CEO, Public Transport Agency, Mr. Abdullah Al Sabbagh, CEO, Cars Taxi, Mr. Abdul Razaq Mohammed Ibrahim, General Manager, Cars Taxi, managers & employees from both sides and a horde of media representatives in the UAE.
Dr. Yousef Al Ali, CEO, RTA’s Public Transport Agency said: “Cars Taxi, which is one of taxi franchise companies operating under the tutelage of the RTA, has been assigned to launch the service at high-class global standards ever seen by the industry in this sector, which plays a crucial role in boosting the tourist profile of the Emirate of Dubai where 155 taxicabs would be dedicated to run the initial phase of the service including a number of them that would be designated to servicing ladies and distinguished by Black-Pink color.”
“The underlying objective of HALA Taxi is to cater to the public needs and meet the growing number of requests received by the Dispatch Center at the Agency under the objective of raising customers satisfaction considering it a strategic goal of the RTA. The service is also meant to boost the drive of the Dubai Government in this regard, provide an effective mechanism for handling the public complaints forwarded to the Dispatch Center, accelerate the dispatch of cabs to customers, provide better coverage to high-demand areas through the Center, improve the rate of cabdrivers response to the Bookings of the Center, and augment the revenues of Dispatch Center through expanding the delivery of the service in a more distinctive and professional manner, added Al Ali.
“The HALA Taxi cabs will be distinguished by black-and-grey colored modern taxicabs fitted with all features of convenience, safety and luxury deployed round-the-clock. This type of taxis can be booked through the existing contact channels of the Dispatch Center, including the telephone number 04-2080808, and the same fare applicable to other types of taxis will be applied. Moreover, these taxis will serve all districts of the Emirate without limiting them to a specific zone; however, cabdrivers are not allowed to stop to pick up ordinary passengers hailing taxi at the streets,” he explained.
For his part Mr. Abdullah Al Sabbagh, CEO, Cars Taxi expressed his satisfaction and pleasure for the launch of this service through Cars Taxi, considering this project as a turning point in the taxi sector all over Dubai for its sizeable significance this service enjoys in meeting the orders incoming to the Dispatch Center of the Public Transport Agency from the taxi riders.”
“We have been working side by side with RTA for years to provide the best customer service for taxi riders in Dubai including the residents, tourists and visitors inflowing to the emirates from different parts of the world to start their own businesses, investments and participate in varied conferences & exhibitions thanks to the world-class facilities, services, security and safety this global vibrating city offers, which made it one of the world’s most important polarization areas in different fields,” said Al Sabbagh.
The press conference contained a presentation delivered by Mr. Adel Shakri, Director of Transport Systems at the Public Transport Agency. In this presentation, he went through the technologies utilized in the Dispatch Center and services provided to callers who contact to order taxicabs at the Center via telephone, smart phones and other communication channels.
It is noteworthy that the Transportation Systems Department at RTA Public Transport Agency adopts a highly sophisticated system at the Dispatch Center known as Dispatcher 8 (D8) that meets the requirements of the Center in a highly efficient and quality-driven manner that minimizes the number of wasted kilometers. The system assigns booking requests in a way that minimizes the dispatch time of the vehicle to the customer, thanks to the guided map driving feature accelerating the dispatch of the vehicle to the customer. The system spans all taxicabs deployed in Dubai (numbering 8007), and has a map covering the entire Dubai Emirate. More info
