The Customers Council of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has discussed in its 61st session, which had been dedicated to users of RTA's taxi services consisting of franchise business, a variety of services offered by the Booking & Dispatch Center at RTA's Public Transport Agency. The gathering focused also on making use of smart apps in booking taxis where participants exchanged views and made tips for the enhancement of the business procedure in the general public interest.

Yousef Al Rida, CEO of RTA's Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector and Vice Chairperson of RTA's Customers Council had chaired the session, which took place at RTA's HQ. Participants consisted of Abdulla Yousef Al Ali, CEO of Public Transport Agency, Ahmed Mahboub, Director of Customer Service, Abdullah Al Mahri, Director of Transport Activities Monitoring at the general public Transport Agency, scores of RTA's employees and RTA's guests consisting of agents of franchise business and the taxi sector in the Emirate of Dubai.

Al Rida highlighted the significance of interaction in between authorities and consumers in order to share views & suggestions for the benefit of all, specifically as taxicabs are ending up being crucial transit modes in the mobility of people, and serve a wide spectrum of community sectors such as travelers, residents and visitors. Such gatherings, he states, are for that reason vital as they aid us in sourcing essential recommendations with the ability of adding to the improvement of the taxi sector.

During the session, a visual presentation was made by Transport Activities Monitoring Department at RTA Public Transport Agency, which screened the monitoring systems in place, field work methodology, vehicle intensity map, areas for innovation & improvement, investigation office, procedures of examining public feedbacks, services of the Booking & Dispatch Center, and procedures of training & qualifying drivers.

The session then switched to discussions and dialogue between guests. A female rider, who is a frequent user of taxi services in Dubai, applauded the sense of security & security perceived and the brilliant services provided by taxicabs when utilizing the service at any time throughout the day with no worry or fear. She made some ideas for improving the service to keep track of the high profile of Dubai such as the need of more concentrate on informing the drivers on all the locations in Dubai to prevent hold-ups in reaching destinations, and the need to deploy more taxicabs.

"RTA urges the general public to continuously use smart apps in ordering taxi services and stressed the value of training & qualifying cabbies to make them fully acquainted with geographical places of the UAE in general and Dubai in particular. These places include hotels, tourist areas, government offices, going shopping malls, schools, universities and other vital locations of taxi riders in Dubai," stated Al Rida.

The Council concluded with a number of important recommendations consisting of directing the Booking & Dispatch Center to do more in training & certifying some cabby on the geographical maps and using GIS apps to guarantee timely and precise arrival to destinations. The Council likewise directed the general public Transport Agency to study using WhatsApp when a taxi service is booked and cabbies are deployed, as this app is user-friendly and common. The process is thought to make sure quick arrival of taxis to riders, which tends to raise their complete satisfaction and happiness with making use of taxis.

The Council also directed the Licensing Firm of RTA to study some 18 suggestions made by one participant, verify the feasibility, and reply to the Council as quickly as possible. The Council stresses the importance of reacting to these recommendations as RTA is thinking about riders and service users as partners efficient in contributing ideas, remarks and initiatives about improved services that have the potential of rendering these services more efficient and relevant to riders.

During the event, a host of taxicabs from different franchise business in Dubai were honored for their excellent performance in 2015.