Executives from Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and ride-hailing service Uber Technologies have held further discussions about offering a budget taxi service in the emirate, it was announced on Wednesday.
The meeting discussed means of boosting cooperation, and analysed the initial results of a study for offering new budget mobility products in support of Dubai Vision 2021, with a view to meeting the needs of customers seeking affordable mobility solutions.
Such products will enhance mass and shared transport, reduce the number of vehicles on roads, and deliver passenger transport services through electronic communication channels and the smart app according to the laws governing the operation of taxis and limos in Dubai.
“This initiative stems from RTA’s keenness to implement the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, aimed at transforming Dubai into the smartest city in the world,” said HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, who met with Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, Vice President and CEO of Uber in Europe, MENA. “The smart mobility is one of the key pillars of smart cities, and RTA considers Uber a strategic partner in delivering smart transit services in Dubai.”
The talks follow a trial of the uberX service earlier this year that aims to provide passengers in Dubai with access to affordable travel.
In April, it was report that the pricing of uberX will include a AED5 base fare, with additional costs of AED1.37 per km or AED0.4 per minute.
Until now, Uber and its regional rival, Careem have been barred from offering economical services in Dubai as regulations require their fares to be 30 percent higher than local taxis, but Dubai’s transport authority signed an agreement with Uber in January to explore the development of more affordable taxi and limousine services in the emirate.
