Passengers will pay up to Dh21 extra for a trip from the airport after the introduction of a new, luxury fleet of taxi vans.<\/p>\n
Flag fall for the 150 black Mercedes vans will increase from Dh3.50 to Dh25, but the rate per kilometer will be the same.<\/p>\n
The taxis will be available around the clock at Terminals 1, 2 and 3. At Terminal 2, used by budget airlines, there will also be 15 Toyota Camry cabs with a flag fall of Dh20.<\/p>\n
There are two vans for passengers with special needs, equipped with electronic wheelchair lifts and restraints.<\/p>\n
The fleet is planned to expand to 200 in two to three months, to be supplemented by silver taxis if necessary.<\/p>\n
Mercedes-Benz Vito vans can accommodate seven passengers and are equipped with an online tracking system, a speed limiter and updated GPS facilities.<\/p>\n
The fleet runs on green diesel fuel and was unofficially launched on November 20.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, the taxi regulator TransAD announced the rollout of the vans to be operated by Emirates Transport.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project took three years to complete,\u201d said Mohamed Al Hosani, director of franchise and licensing at TransAD.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you come to think of it, it\u2019s still the cheapest. This is a totally new service in the UAE because we offer Mercedes Vito vehicles at the airport.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mohammed Al Qamzi, general manager at TransAD, said: \u201cIf you see our rates, they are very low. It will be an issue for the people who are working at the airport but for passengers, it is reasonably priced and cheaper compared to taxis at Heathrow Airport.\u201d<\/p>\n
The elderly and handicapped can obtain discount cards from the Ministry of Social Affairs. Card holders will receive reductions of 25 to 50 per cent on fares.<\/p>\n
Waleed Al Mehairi, executive director of transport and leasing at Emirates Transport, said he hoped the taxis would soon accept payment by credit card.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot give you a specific date but I hope it will be in February,\u201d Mr Al Mehairi said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is now under process and we have already finalized it with the bank. The next stage is the installation of the device.\u201d<\/p>\n
Airport drivers will work 12-hour shifts and a full fleet will be available during peak hours.<\/p>\n
Multilingual drivers with a knowledge of Abu Dhabi and the UAE have been trained for the service. About 10 per cent of them are women.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbu Dhabi has been experiencing strong passenger traffic growth and taxi demand is about proportionate to this growth,\u201d said Jacob Mathew, director of Emirates Car Centre at Emirates Transport.<\/p>\n
Taxis at the airport make an estimated total of 1,600 journeys a day, said Mr Al Qamzi.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes, it can reach up to 1,800 to 2,000 during the holiday season,\u201d he said. \u201cIf there is an increased demand for airport taxis, we can augment it using the existing silver taxis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe silver taxis are not allowed at the airport except when there is a shortage. We have our people there to regulate it and will determine if there is a need for silver taxis or not.\u201d Arriving passengers are not required to book in advance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Passengers will pay up to Dh21 extra for a trip from the airport after the introduction of a new, luxury fleet of taxi vans. Flag fall for the 150 black Mercedes vans will increase from Dh3.50 to Dh25, but the rate per kilometer will be the same. The taxis will be available around the clock …<\/p>\n