Under the tag uberX, the RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) and private taxi company Uber have announced the trial of an economy class of taxi cabs. This follows an agreement between Uber and the RTA in January 2017, supporting the Dubai Plan 2021.
The pilot uberX will be introduced gradually over a trial period of 3 months, starting from 17 April 2017, starting with a limited number of vehicles. uberX will be priced lower than the current UberSELECT, while retaining the expected safety and convenience levels. This step looks to be the prelude to the introduction of other advanced products like UberPOOL and UberElevate, leading the way for a fully integrated, multi-modal transport network associated with the smart cities of the future. After the pilot run, the two sides will examine the outcome and decide whether to develop or discontinue.
The base fare is expected to be as low as AED 5 and with a kilometer-specific of AED 1.37 charged to the customer.
Through this initiative, they also aim to expand and enhance the integration with other public transport modes such as the metro, tram, public buses and marine transport in Dubai based on the First and Last miles.
Chris Free, General Manager, Uber UAE stated, “This launch promotes our belief that increased access to economic and reliable modes of transport will provide a viable alternative to individual car ownership, helping to tackle congestion and pollution, whilst complementing the existing public transit infrastructure in Dubai”. He also added, “Our vision is to have more people in fewer cars, promote the use of public transport by providing an economically priced product for people to get to/from metro, tram stations, bus stops and marine transport stations, and to ultimately allow riders to move around their cities easier”.
The conveniences of Uber services include the ease of obtaining a fare estimate prior to the journey and providing an electronic statement at the end of every trip. Do note that dynamic pricing will be operational during the course of the pilot to help provide a reliable service with shorter wait times through the day.
For more info check out the Uber’s UAE website.
