The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has officially announced its latest partnership with the homegrown ride-hailing service firm Careem.
Under the partnership, the two organisations will combine advanced technologies with RTA’s industry knowledge to launch a new e-hailing service in the emirate.
The new company, Hala, is the newest way to book a Dubai Taxi. Via the Careem app, it enables customers to ride at the touch of a button.
The launch was announced during a press event held by Ahmed Bahrozyan, Chief Executive Officer of Public Transport Agency (PTA), Bassel Al Nahlaoui – Managing Director of Careem Gulf and Pakistan, and Clemence Dutertre – Chief Executive Officer of Hala, Ibrahim Sultan AlHaddad, Director, Commercial & Investment Department Hala Board member, and Adel Shakeri, Director, Planning and Business Development, Public Transport Agency, RTA.
PTA’s Bahrozyan has confirmed that the official launch of Hala reflects RTA’s commitment to the directions and aspirations of Dubai Government in the digital transformation of all services, especially in the field of mobility in the Emirate of Dubai.
He noted that this initiative will boost taxi sector in Dubai in terms of easy access to vehicles through e-hailing, which helps the Authority to achieve integration between the various means of transport.
In July the brand of the joint venture was named “Hala”. The trial run of the e-hailing service started with 2,000 of Dubai Taxis via Careem App, and the official launch will now cover 5,500 taxis by mid-September.
Careem’s e-hailing system has been integrated with RTA’s taxi management systems. Drivers have been trained on receiving e-hailing requests from customers and new relevant concepts associated with this advanced service.
Bassel Al Nahlaoui, managing director, Careem Gulf and Pakistan, said, “We are very excited to see Hala officially launch today. It is a milestone moment for the industry, with the public and private sectors coming together to bring ride hailing tech to everyday taxis. Residents and visitors of Dubai will now be able to find the closest Dubai Taxi to them on demand, see a fare estimate and time of arrival before booking their ride and connect their credit card for easy, hassle free payment via the Careem app. We look forward to seeing Hala becoming a much-loved addition to the app.”
Dubai Taxi prices will range from AED 8 during regular hours, AED 9 ED at night and AED 12 during peak hours. Hala has been ramping up the fleet to reach over 5,500 Dubai taxis available on the Careem app by mid-September covering about 50 percent of the RTA taxi fleet. The aim is to bring down the Estimated Time of Arrival, ETA, to less than 5 minutes over the next few months.
