HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), revealed that total operating revenues of the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) at the RTA reached AED 1.481 billion in 2015 compared with AED 1.311 billion reported in 2014. The total revenues published by the DTC in 2014 totaled up to AED280 million compared with AED 270 million last year after subtracting franchise fees paid by the DTC to Public Transport Agency against plate charges, and booking & distribution costs among others.

Al Tayer was thrilled with the outcomes of the performance indicators of the DTC and stressed that the RTA would continue, through the DTC, to enhance its services and provide them through smart gadgets. "The drive will push efforts towards making customers happier besides living up to the local & worldwide profile of Dubai in business, economic, service, financial, real estate, and tourist sectors among others, he noted.

"The DTC has performed about 47 million journeys in 2015 at an average of 129 thousand journeys daily compared with 46 million journeys recorded in 2014. Last year the DTC raised about 94 million riders compared to 92 million riders in 2014," said Al Tayer.

"The overall sign of the DTC in 2015 refers to a 14 % development in the number of journeys and riders when compared with 2014. The operational performance of the DTC increased from 97 % to 98 % throughout the exact same duration. The DTC has introduced a number of efforts including intensifying DTC's fleet by 420 new vehicles; bringing the overall number of vehicles to 4,673 vehicles including 350 vehicles dedicated for Dubai and Al Maktoum International Airports, 113 vehicles for VIP service, 100 automobiles for ladies, 3 vehicles for Hatta city service, 385 vehicles for Hala Taxi service, and 3,722 vehicles for the conventional commission taxi.

"The DTC has completed a task for enhancing the interiors of VIP vehicles besides installing sensors in all fleet vehicles supplied by automobile dealers, rendering sensing units part of the standard vehicles specs. The DTC has actually likewise made it possible for fare payment by means of credit cards and NOL card in all fleet automobiles, and has automated maintenance operations with the goal of enhancing the performance and lowering the number of automobiles in workshops. The DTC has also introduced motorists reward program where the best cabdrivers are rewarded on the basis of some specifications specifically accidents, grievances and offences, utilizing the Service Star prize where the winner will be rewarded by an automobile, besides honoring motorists who have actually finished more than 10 years in service.

The Maintenance Section has set an online program for periodic maintenance of vehicles. As many as 400 auto start devices have been installed where a vehicle would only operate after the drivers own card is swiped, in order to put an end to the so-called anonymous kilometers and cut fuel and maintenance cost. The DTC has also installed new systems in taxi cabs in a bid to improve safety and curb accidents. Vehicles have also been fitted with cameras to track cabbies' performance (directed to the cabdriver only), in addition to rear & front cameras installed to assess cabbies driving style and identify & analyze reasons of accidents

Smart Training
The RTA attaches special attention to the training and qualifying of drivers with a view to uplifting traffic awareness level in providing taxi services, which will appropriately contribute to improving traveler services in a quote to make them happier. In this regard the RTA has actually opened the Drivers Qualification Center at Al Ruwaiyah; the first smart training center dedicated to training cab driver of franchise business and on-call cab driver of luxurious limo service in Dubai. The Center, which is monitored by Drivers Affairs Department at Public Transport Agency, is fitted with smart touch-screens identified by high-definition enlightening product & visual screen, internet accessibility and a direct interaction with the educational material.

The Center is fitted with practical laboratories considered the very first of their kind in the area consisting of interactive e-maps related to the GPS using touch technology for use in placing landmark tourist and city places in the Emirate, besides displaying the path design as well as the closest and quickest alternative paths to destinations. The Center likewise has a simulator to embed the fundamentals of learning driving abilities under various conditions and situations to which the motorist may experience in roads, and drivers will be evaluated automatically based upon the driving results produced.

The Center also devoted halls for training motorists on security & safety, emergency treatment, and fire-fighting devices at world-class standards in partnership with the competent bodies. The Center has likewise a social clinic to uplift human capacities where all motorists go through a medical and mental assessment prior to getting a license to practice their profession

The Center focuses on training motorists with a view to supporting their driving abilities and accordingly achieving a mobility free from traffic fines & mishaps, which in turn contributes to realizing the satisfaction of taxi users in line with the greatest international practices utilized in innovative countries, thanks to this sophisticated, creative, flexible and suitable training environment.

The training program to which cabdrivers are subjected consists of 4 courses; the very first is a structure course designated to beginner drivers lasting 22 days which is obligatory to all drivers of taxis and on-demand taxis. The 2nd course lasts 10 days and is dedicated to fresh drivers of on-demand taxis (Limo), the 3rd is a supplemental course for practicing drivers every 2 years enduring 3 days, and the 4th is a 3-day rehab course for drivers who are subject of regular complaints or traffic fines.