RTA in Sharjah, Uber in Dubai to hike fares as petrol prices rise in July

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UAE - Taxi rides in the Emirate of Sharjah and mobility service provider Uber Technologies in Dubai have hiked their prices starting July 1, following an increase in petrol prices in the UAE.

On Thursday, the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) announced the amendment of the taxi meter tariff based on the latest fuel prices in the country.

The decision, made by the Sharjah Executive Council, will be implemented by SRTA. Youssef Khamis Al Othmani, chairman of the SRTA, said that the amendment is based on the principle of liberalising fuel prices, as the tariff for opening the meter will be adjusted either by increase or decrease according to the fuel pricing approved by the Ministry of Energy.

Al Othmani added that the SRTA would determine the tariff pricing policy and follow up on its implementation to serve taxi users.

In Dubai, American mobility service provider Uber Technologies has hiked its UAE fares amid a surge in petrol prices. The company informed its customers (users) about the fare hike in an e-mail on Friday. The ride-hailing application would charge as much as 11 per cent for some trips, it said in an e-mail.

The hike is Uber’s second this year in the UAE, where petrol is three times more expensive than in Kuwait and almost double the average cost per litre in the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, stated a Bloomberg report. Uber last hiked its fare prices in March 2022.

Petrol prices in the UAE rose again in July – following months of significant increase since March this year. Petrol prices in the UAE have increased by nearly 49 fils for July 2022, compared to the previous month. This comes after prices rose in June after a dip in May. The Ministry of Energy adjusts fuel prices in the UAE in the last week of every month.

Moreover, some passengers who used public bus transportation services from Sharjah to Dubai reported a Dh3 increase in fares. A few riders Khaleej Times spoke to said they had to pay Dh20 instead of Dh17 on a bus fare from Rolla bus station to Al Qouz Industrial Area One.

A call to the SRTA customer helpline number also revealed bus tickets from the Al Jubail bus station to Abu Dhabi are now priced at Dh35. Earlier, tickets were priced at Dh33.

Petrol prices in the UAE have jumped over 56 per cent since January 2022 due to an increase in global crude oil prices, especially after the Russia-Ukraine war in February.

According to the government, the UAE liberalised fuel prices to help rationalise fuel consumption, encourage public transport use in the long run, and incentivise the use of alternative fuels.