The majority of people living in the Gulf are dissatisfied with the taxi service available to them.
An Arabian Business poll has revealed that more than three-quarters of respondents are critical about the reliability of taxis or the ability of the driver.
The poll on Tuesday followed news that the shortage of taxis, especially in Dubai, was one of the threats to the long-term sustainability of the region’s booming tourism and economy.
Business execs and tourists, of which six million visit Dubai every year, are increasingly complaining about the time spent standing in searing temperatures and competing with a dozen other people for the odd taxi that passes by.
And our online vote revealed that more than 56 percent of respondents thought more taxis were needed and their time-keeping needed to be improved. A further 19 percent were critical of the taxi driver’s knowledge of the area in which they were travelling.
Seventeen percent of people who took part in the poll called for taxi lanes to be set up in the region – along the lines of taxi and bus lanes in the UK – in a bid to quicken up journeys across Gulf cities.
Only six per cent were supportive of the current situation saying taxis are clean, well maintained and were the best mode of transport to get around.
According to Bloomberg, Dubai has around 4.9 taxis per 1,000 people, compared to 4.7 in Tokyo, 2.7 in London and 1.6 in New York but problems are accentuated when people are forced to wait for a cab in temperatures that can reach as high as 50 degrees Celsius in the summer months.
The government has recognised the problem and the RTA plans to spend 52.5 billion dirhams over the next five years to improve road, bus, rail and marine transport, including construction of a metro that is set to come online next year.
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