Emirati taxi driver campaign 'a complete failure'

Sunday, 24 May 2009 7:35 AM

TAXI CAMPAIGN: Sharjah's attempts to recruit Emirati drivers has been a failure. (Getty Images - for illustrative purposes only)

Plans to recruit Emiratis as taxi drivers in Sharjah has been a total failure, with just one national applying for a job in five years, according to a senior transport official.

The Sharjah Public Transport Corporation (SPTC) said all of the nearly 20,000 taxi-driving positions continue to be filled by expats, despite an attempt to change that.

Mohammed al Shamsi, the chairman of the board of directors of the SPTC, admitted to the Sharjah Consultative Council that a campaign to recruit Emiratis had not worked, UAE daily The National reported on Sunday.

“We admit this whole campaign was a complete failure,” he said. “We have tried several times, and I will tell you that we shall continue trying.”

Officials said there had been almost no Emirati interest in such jobs, the paper reported.

Al Shamsi said that since the SPTC launched the Emiratisation process among taxi drivers almost five years ago, only one national had enquired about a position as a driver.

“He called in the evening saying that he wanted a job as a driver, and in the morning, we called him back – he said he didn’t want the job anymore,” Al Shamsi said.

“We asked him why and if he had got another job – he said he was a national and was content to remain unemployed if he didn’t get a decent job as a national.”

Sharjah is not the only emirate that has tried to hire more Emiratis in the transport industry. Last summer, TransAD, Abu Dhabi’s taxi regulator, advertised jobs for retired Emiratis in Arabic-language newspapers, urging them to apply to be taxi and limousine drivers.

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Posted by: Long timer Thursday, 28 May 2009 6:57 PM[UAE] - UAE

I totally agree with Steven. Why would an Emarati take up a low paying job when he/she has alternate sources of income (a welfare culture so deeply embedded in the UAE which promotes this attitude) I wish that these individuals who voluntarily refuse to take a job according to their educational/trade qualification just because it is below their dignity to take such jobs, should not be used to calculate the unemployment figures among locals. And the government should stop blaming expats for taking away the jobs of locals; it just doesn't make any sense!

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Posted by: Dr Nabeel Wednesday, 27 May 2009 4:09 PM[UAE] - UAE

I have come to this country in 1975, when the streets you are walking on right now were sands. Since that time, the attitude of most expats has always been negative. Criticizing everything and comparing the life here with the life in their own country. If I choose to live in a country, I am obligated to respect its culture and its people. Looking at the UAE today, one can only admire the accomplishments. Dialogue is constructive if and only if it proposes a solution to the problem, and not expressing sarcasm or derision. Positive attitude produces positive results. The refusal of Emirati to work as taxi driver is a social problem, the solution of which requires fundamental change of culture. If the UAE nationals constitute approximately 20% of the entire population of the country, and if the young Emirati are encouraged to get college degrees, why would they work as taxi drivers? College students could take any job to earn a living and nothing wrong with this, but this would require change of culture.

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Posted by: Minumaster Wednesday, 27 May 2009 10:44 AM[UAE]

Dear Cyberboy, It seems you are very new to UAE or may be don't know much about the place, that's why you have come with such comment calling ONLY Indians & Pakistanis "Poor"!! Why you have to be biased with some nationalities! There are number of other nationalities (may be except westerners) in Taxi Drivers' & other such professions in UAE (& NOT only in Sharjah), may it be Egyptians, Africans, Jordanians, Phillipinos, Syrians, Lebanese etc. etc. besides Indians & Pakistanis. If, instead of POOR Indians and Pakistanis, you would have used the word EXPATRIATES it would have been more decent & appropriate! ...... But here we are trying to figure out the reason of Denial from EMARATIS to work as a taxi drivers and NOT whom they will be replacing! ....... Well, the reason is an open Secret that everyone probably knows......... Hence I will refrain to comment on it. However, I might suggest, that, if the Government of UAE or for this matter Sharjah, REALLY wants its Citizens to take up such jobs, then someone from the TOP (say any higher official/designator or say a REAL big shot and of course an EMARATI) may come forward and say OK here I am, and I am going to drive the Cab for One Day (or a week or so) and he REALLY does it, then the so called "ATTITUDE" or a sense of being "SUPERIOR" amongst the natives of this land may change! ...... Moreover, the officials who repent on NO SHOW of Emaratis for such jobs may ask themselves if they would allow THEIR OWN children to take up such professions; I think they will find the CORRECT answer. .... So ... the problem is NOT with the new generation; the problem lies with the older ones as to what they TEACH the coming generations! ..... Needless to say that the very sense of "Superiority" comes only since childhood because of excess CARE & PAMPERING; which unfortunately is being carried forward from (at least last 2) generations of the natives of this land! .......Additionally, it is perhaps the meager Salary/Wages offered by SPTC, which might NOT be sufficient for one month's SHAWARMA SANDWICH bills of an EMARATI, which keeps them at a bay!!! Try giving better options like Share in Revenue etc. to them; I'm sure at least some will turn up to take the job if not all. ...... Still it?s not too late to change the Attitudes..... God bless this country..... (Amen)

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Posted by: ZeTallGerman Wednesday, 27 May 2009 8:18 AM[UAE] - United Arab Emirates

Something is seriously wrong (in any country) if a person is more proud to be unemployed that to be seen doing any kind of honest work, no matter how low-paying it may be. Emiratis are brought-up to believe that they are "better" than everyone else... well, unfortunately not everyone can be a CEO. And if that's what they really want, then guess what: you will DEFINITELY always need expatriates to fill all the jobs that are "beneath" you.

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Posted by: Mart Tuesday, 26 May 2009 5:00 PM[UAE]

I think the problem is with the job title "taxi driver". It just sounds very unimportant. How about retitling the job "transit management executive", and then changing the hours to 10am to 3pm?

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