The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, RTA, has announced the establishment of an E-Hail Taxi Joint Venture with Careem Networks Company (Careem); a regional ride hailing technology company, according to a report in WAM.
Accordingly, the new company, the name and logo of which will be announced in the next few months, will provide e-hail taxi services to customers beginning in April 2019. The e-hail taxi market for limousines will remain open to existing operators without any change.
A statement to this effect was made during a press conference held by Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, and Mudassir Sheikha, co-founder and CEO of Careem. A host of CEOs of the RTA and senior executives of Careem were also in attendance.
“This partnership is the first of its kind worldwide between a government transport authority and a private entity specialised in the taxi e-hail business. It sets a model of an excellent partnership in running comprehensive public transport systems shared between the public and private sectors. The e-hail has become the most effective tool of matching the supply with demand, and offering clients a smooth experience in obtaining taxis,” said Al Tayer.
Mudassir Sheikha, co-founder and managing director of Careem, welcomed the partnership and cooperation with the RTA, noting, “Careem’s journey to simplify and improve the lives of people in the region started here in Dubai – this is Careem’s home, its source of inspiration. Over the last six years, the technology that we have developed here in Dubai has delivered hundreds of millions of rides and transformed the way people move around in 120 cities in our region.
“Entering into this exciting public-private-partnership with the RTA will allow us to use that technology to make Dubai’s sophisticated transportation infrastructure even more accessible and convenient. Combining our technology capability with RTA’s vast industry knowledge, we will build a platform that delivers broader choice, optimum customer experiences and reliable, safe transportation for everyone,” added Sheikha.
