Dubai’s taxi sector has achieved a remarkable growth in the year 2023, with a total of approximately 114 million trips and 198.4 million passengers lifted. This annual trip count is the highest tally recorded over the past 15 years, with an annual growth rate in taxi trips at 8%, highlighting the sector’s significant role in Dubai’s public transport network.
The efficiency and reliability of taxi services run under the auspices of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) have earned profound trust from residents, tourists, and visitors. In October 2023, taxi trips hit an unprecedented surge of 10 million, and Dubai taxis traverse over 500km on average every 24 hours.
To support the growing demand, the city deployed 1,160 taxis in 2023, raising the total to approximately 12,532 vehicles. Of these, 10,388 are environmentally friendly hybrids and electric vehicles, accounting for 83% of the entire fleet. 27,900 drivers work in two shifts to operate these taxis.
The e-hail taxi service, Hala Taxi, also reported a significant uptick with 39.8 million trips made in 2023, marking a 27% growth from 2022. This surge highlights the shift in consumer behavior from traditional street hails to electronic bookings.
The efficiency of Hala’s service has also seen notable improvement with the averaged Actual Arrival Time for electronically booked taxis reaching customers in Dubai dropping to 3.6 minutes in 2023 from 3.9 minutes recorded in 2022.
The RTA’s taxi services have played a crucial role in Dubai’s public transport network, providing a safe, efficient, and reliable means of transportation for residents and visitors alike. The city’s taxi fleet continues to grow, providing a greener and more sustainable mode of transportation, with environmentally friendly taxis comprising a significant part of the fleet.
