Sharjah taxi drivers charge two-way toll

Wednesday, Aug 08, 2007

Sharjah: Sharjah taxi drivers are charging a two-way Salik toll from passengers travelling to Bur Dubai, said commuters.

"I was stunned when the taxi driver told me that he would take me to Shaikh Zayed Road only if I pay him the Dh8 Salik charge," said Saud Ali.

He said that the driver refused to take the alternate route complaining that it was too congested. "I will take you only if you pay the two-way Salik charge," is what the taxi driver told Ali.

Many other passengers, who travel frequently from Sharjah to Dubai said taxi drivers in Sharjah are very 'stubborn' as they take passengers on routes of their own choice.

Taxi companies in Sharjah said that drivers are supposed to take one-way Salik charges if they take the toll-controlled route. "But if a passenger wants him to take an alternate route, he is not supposed to charge toll fees," he added.

Majeed Khan, a Sharjah taxi driver, said that most of the taxi drivers charge Salik because they do not want to 'waste' their time taking congested alternate routes.

Sharjah taxi drivers after dropping passengers in Dubai are not allowed to take passengers back to Sharjah. Similar rules apply to taxi drivers taking passengers to Sharjah from Dubai.

"We charge two-way Salik fees because we have to come back empty and why should we take the congested route," said another taxi driver.

A number of passengers in Sharjah also complained that taxi drivers in Sharjah do not take passengers to Dubai during evening rush hours but they happily give them a ride during morning rush hours.

Rush hour trips

"Whenever I have to go to Dubai from Sharjah during morning rush hour, no taxi driver refuses because he makes a lot of money while stuck in traffic jams. Sometimes, I end up paying around Dh70 to Dh80 for a journey, which costs Dh25 during normal traffic," said Narayan K., a banker.

If the taxi moves at a speed of less than 30km per hour for 10 minutes, passengers have to pay waiting charges which are 50 fils per minute in addition to the normal fare. The longer a passenger stays in the taxi, the higher the amount he would pay."

He said taxi drivers hesitate to go to Dubai from Sharjah during evening hours because it takes them just 15 to 20 minutes to reach destinations in Dubai but they get stuck in traffic on their way back to Sharjah. It takes them around one to two hours to come back. "It is a waste of time and revenue for them," he added.

Taxi companies in Sharjah earlier said that they receive a number of such complaints everyday and are taking measures to educate the taxi drivers.

Sharjah Transport runs 2,700 taxis

Sharjah Transport runs 2,700 taxis, and there are 1,700 private taxis.

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