Ban on taxi sharing in Dubai reversed

Taxi regulators un-banned a rule that previously did not allow passengers to share a can to more than one destination.

Now, taxi drivers are allowed to make multiple drop-offs on the same route, but they should not restart the meter at each stop and the last passenger to be dropped off and leaves the car has to pay the whole fare.

Dr Yousif Al Ali, chief executive of the Public Transport Agency, said “Two friends can share a cab and can be dropped off … at two points en route as long as the person getting off last pays for the entire journey.”

Dr Ali was responding to the concerns of passengers and taxi drivers after the Roads and Transport Authority said that sharing a cab with more than one drop-off was banned.

The RTA said that drivers who dropped passengers off at more than one destination on the same fare faced a Dh2,000 fine and possible dismissal.