"Yes, we have also come across cases when some motorists complain about being fined wrongly by the inspectors. Car-pooling is something which we are encouraging at the moment in a bid to reduce the traffic bottlenecks in the emirate. We plan to set up a link on the RTA web site or create a fully new web site just for registering their names for car pooling," he said."
--more here
I have a question... If a person buys a car with 4 seats and they're only legally allowed to use 1 of those seats, is the RTA going to begin paying a share of the car's value for the other seats which are pretty much illegal to use?
""Right now there is no definite legislation in this connection. We are sure that this new service would solve this problem once and for all. The investigations would be done intensively to ensure that people engaged in the practice of illegally lifting passengers do not take advantage," he pointed out."
Yes, because heaven-forbid anyone 'take advantage' of people waiting several eternities for the RTA to summon taxies
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13 comments:
Guess the flip side to your question: should you offer car lifts and earn income from such, would you compensate the DXB Cab Corps, bus service, the unborn metro and Salik?
Again, all about the blinks I suppose?
Give RTA a break, they are doing a wonderful job in Dubai, their CEO was awarded "CEO of the Year" award recently, so they must be doing something right
carpooling registration??
Where on Earth does one have to register for a carpool?
Either this is a fast one, considering the date today, or another one of those whiz kid ideas of more revenue ;)
Take your pick ;)
There's already a GN article for a 7K reserved parking spot ;)
Anywhere else on the planet, and I'd have looked at the date and been dismissively sceptical.
As it's Dubai, I'm merely sceptical.
my neighbour was supposed to go down to a pub to watch a match and grab some beers, but his taxi was a no-show - after 45 minutes. since i was heading that way, i dropped him off at MOE so he could get a cab.
here's the trick question. in such a scenario, since i didnt make any money off him, and helped RTA NOT lose a valued customer, do i get extra points?
sometimes a friend of mine from work stays over at my place, and we come to the office together. if our point of origin is the same (literally the same house), would i still need to register for carpool?
the RTA is stupid. if people shared cars to work, the taxis would be free to drive around tourists. and take them long distances - to ibne batuta mall. it would be good for the GDP. =P
The investigations would be done intensively to ensure that people engaged in the practice of illegally lifting passengers do not take advantage," he pointed out.
err... what if i get an approval letter and start charging money? i dont think this makes sense. the people who pay illegal taxis are doing so willingly... why would they turn in someone who is saving them the hassle of keeping/driving a car in this mad traffic?
What is not allowed is that some people use carpooling as a cover for working as Taxi drivers, which is illegal.
Fair enough I'd say !!
Hemlock - I understand, it's sort of a law, which may (though not likely) cause genuine issues such as in your case. Personally, don't think you are going to be pulled over, for having a friend in your car - however, could be, if you car is filled with say 5 people, on multiple occasions. Again, I think this is being put forth, given some folks misuse to generate revenue.
Look at it in this context - UAE does not have direct income taxes, instead have indirect alternatives. Folks using personal vehicles to generate revenue is perhaps taking income away from the government as well as from a cabbie?
I had a friend fined for dropping a friend at a hotel...
But all he had to do is show at the RTA with a local friend and the fine was waived.
Some things will never change.
rosh: unfortunately, i knew a few people who offer car-sharing "services" from sharjah to dubai. it breaks my heart to see someone with a reasonable job to be reduced to driving a makeshift taxi, but the man's income is so meagre, he cannot be expected to support a family from what he gets officially. also, it keeps at least 4 other cars OFF the al-nahda highway during peak hours.
but then one comes to your argument where the cabby is being denied his fare... except if you ask him to take you to sharjah, he will not so politely decline.
im confuzzled :(
A few days late on this post but I had a different experience. Me and a friend of mine landed at Dubai air port after a long & delayed 11 hour flight from China. Once at the taxi stand got into taxi and headed towards Sharjah. My friends lives on AlWahda street and I at Buteena. The driver refused to drop me at my place after we reached Al Wahda, he was arguing that we should have taken 2 taxis instead of one as they are not allowed as per RTA to drop pessangers at different places.
Calls were made to an RTA number printed on the recipt and after a long time someone picked up the phone who could not understand English at all, with the great difficulty he somehow understood our problem and said that he does not have any problem if the driver drops 2 of us at different location. Despite this discussion the driver of Dubai Taxi did not agree to do so and I had to ask my friend to drop me at my home.
The very same day I called up RTA again complaining about the incident and providing the car number, driver number and name. I was assured that RTA has no rules like this and taxi driver should drop us as per our request. He informed me that he has noted the complaint and someone will call me back within 3 to 4 days, I wonder why so long, any how I had to accept.
Its more than 2 months since then and not body bothered to call and asked for any details.
How can you solve the issue of traffic on roads if 2 persons going to same city with the final destination being apart by 10 or 15 Kms are being forced to take 2 different cabs.
Is there anything else they could do to make life more difficult for the people living here?
Ask the RTA to solve a problem and they'll create four more.
So now what about the insurance of those traveling in the car? What if the driver falls sick? So no car pool??? LOL!
Why can't the RTA just stop concentrating on the money it can extract from residents/ citizens of the Emirates, for once?
Anonymous with the comment:
" Anonymous said...
Give RTA a break, they are doing a wonderful job in Dubai, their CEO was awarded "CEO of the Year" award recently, so they must be doing something right
01 April, 2008 07:32"
_____________
If you're living in the Emirates, rub some ice onto ur face & welcome to the real world.
If you're not living in the Emirates, do you not know that sometimes, awards can be rigged?
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