The Dubai RTA’s Customers Council in its 65th session, which took place few days before the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, had discussed with users of taxi service and officials of franchise companies operating under the umbrella of the Authority a number of services provided by the Booking & Dispatch Center of RTA’s Public Transport Agency. Discussions focused on the smart taxi services with the aim of sharing views and making suggestions about the improvement of business processes in the public interest.
The session took place at RTA’s HQ, and attended by Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, RTA’s Board Member cum Chair of Customers Council, Ahmed Mahboub, Director of Customer Service and Abdullah Al Mahri, Director of Transport Activities Monitoring as well as Members of Taxi Council and a host of RTA employees.
Al Mulla opened the session by expressing thanks and appreciation to customers for kindly attending the council and sharing views, suggestions and aspirations with the aim of improving the level of services delivered to achieve People Happiness. He also welcomed executives of taxi franchise companies as well as the chairperson & members of Taxi Council who make dedicated & relentless efforts towards improving the services of the taxi sector in Dubai. He started the session by stressing the huge attention accorded by RTA leaders to the taxi sector. He added that the aim of holding these gatherings was to screen the level of services provided to customers and seek to improve them with the aim of bringing happiness to various community segments, especially taxi users.
The gathering made several valuable recommendations mainly:
Directing the Public Transport Agency to intensify monitoring & inspection campaigns of all cabs and cabdrivers in order to curb negative practices on the part of some taxi drivers. Such measures are essential as they serve the interest of customers and preserve the corporate image of RTA.
Directing the Public Transport Agency to issue a circular to all franchise companies to inspect and monitor the performance of drivers, particularly the general appearance, personal hygiene, odor, cleaned attire and outfit, besides displaying ID card and other controls of drivers performance.
Directing RTA’s Marketing & Corporate Communication Department to carry out educative campaigns targeting taxi users & tourists reminding them not to leave or forget their personal belongings when alighting from taxicabs, especially those heading to different airports of the UAE. They should insist on the issuance & collection of the payment receipt, which contains a lot of important information when reporting items lost on board taxicabs.
Directing the Public Transport Agency to address all taxi drivers in Dubai to use the display monitors fitted to taxicabs, as there are several complaints from customers that these monitors are not operated or have permanent failures.
Directing the Public Transport Agency to cooperate and coordinate with the Dubai Police for designating a place for handing over all items lost in taxis, and charting out a mechanism for handing them over.
The session included a visual presentation delivered by Abdullah Al Mahri, Director of Transport Activities Monitoring at Public Transport Agency including information about taxi sector in Dubai, a comparison of taxi service pricing in Dubai and major cosmopolitan cities. He also explained the practical mechanism of monitoring the taxi sector in Dubai, complaints & comments of taxi customers, lost & found policy management, and the new mobility systems as well as the incentives, rewards and awards system for cabdrivers.
Al Mulla concluded the session by recalling that RTA always urges the public to use smart apps in requesting taxi service, and focuses on training drivers on the geographical locations in the UAE in general and Dubai Emirate in particular such as hotels, tourist attractions, public entities, malls, schools, universities and other key destinations visited by taxi riders.
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