More cabs will be available in the city by the end of the year when 10 per cent of the 7,804 drivers adopt two shifts, said an official at Abu Dhabi\u2019s taxi regulator, TransAD<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have two drivers per taxi to maximize efficiency,\u201d said Yousef Al Madani, director of the call center and customer service at TransAD. \u201cWe don\u2019t want one driver working 24 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Booked taxis are expected to arrive within seven minutes. When TransAD launched the call service in November 2008, a year after silver taxis took to the streets, the reaction time was about nine minutes.<\/p>\n
Customers can book taxis on 600 53 53 53 from the call center<\/a>, manned by 32-multi-lingual staff 24 hours day. The agents receive taxi bookings, complaints and lost and found inquiries.<\/p>\n Dispatchers use GPS technology to find a taxi nearest to a caller\u2019s address. At the moment, the six franchise taxi companies operate 7,149 cabs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe response rate of taxi drivers to the call center jobs in 2009 and 2010 was 15 to 16 per cent. It has risen to 70 to 75 per cent since 2012,\u201d Mr Al Madani said.<\/p>\n Every month, 18 taxi drivers with the highest response rate are awarded Dh500.<\/p>\n \u201cIt fostered a friendly competition among the drivers,\u201d he said. \u201cSome drivers had a 96 response rate, while I particularly remember one driver who had a 99 per cent rate.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier this month, the regulator received the Service Olympian Award for Best Customer Service Innovation at the UAE Customer Service Week in Dubai. The awards, which have 12 categories, recognize organizations that have implemented successful customer service.<\/p>\n Abu Dhabi\u2019s taxis are linked and monitored electronically through a GPS, enabling TransAD to track and locate all taxis when needed.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve implemented a lot of innovative strategies to boost customer satisfaction,\u201d Mr Al Madani said. \u201cAll taxis are equipped with an MDT, or a mobile data terminal, so when a call centre agent receives a complaint, the driver is alerted and asked to report to TransAD within 48 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n The investigation unit at TransAD reviews complaints against the drivers and issues a warning, suspension or slaps a driver with a fine.<\/p>\n \u201cSpeed monitoring is a priority,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want our drivers to go beyond the speed limit. They cannot go beyond 120kph.\u201d<\/p>\n TransAD has an automated fining system <\/a>and speed limits, monitored through the tracking and dispatch centre.<\/p>\n The driver gets a first and second warning, and on the third offence, receives a Dh100 fine.<\/p>\n Subsequent speeding offences will result in an automatic fine of Dh200, Dh500 and then a suspension.<\/p>\n TransAD also has a black points system, with a maximum of 24 points accumulated in a year. Each fine has a corresponding black point.<\/p>\n Drivers who accumulate between 18 and 24 black points will not be able to renew their permits, while those who rack up more than 24 can no longer work as cabbies.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will provide training for those with fewer than 18 black points,\u201d Mr Al Madani said.<\/p>\n By next month, TransAD will implement a unified training policy for taxi drivers employed by the six franchisees. It will be a 125-hour course with 26 subjects for all drivers, Mr Al Madani said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will conduct audits in the franchise companies and taxi drivers are required to take and pass the tests.\u201d<\/p>\n