Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and ‘Careem’ announced the launch of their taxi e-hailing in Dubai under a Joint Venture (JV) name called ‘Hala’, which will officially offer its services to customers as of September through taxi vehicles.

Hala logo is designed to reflect the transformation of the taxi e-hailing experience provided through the partnership between RTA and Careem technology, which will be simpler, transparent and reliable.

H.E Matar Al Tayer Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA has confirmed that the launch of ‘Hala’ stands for an important milestone in the strategic partnership journey between RTA and Careem that supports the efforts of Dubai’s government to make Dubai the smartest city in the world. It is keeping up with the worldwide direction in urban transportation planning in terms of enabling Dubai residents to have smoother journeys and decrease their dependency on privately owned vehicles. Al Tayer noted that this partnership is the first of its kind worldwide between a public transport authority and a private company specialising in smart booking. It also sets a precedence as an outstanding public private partnership (PPP) and fruitful collaboration to uplift the public transport network and sharing mobility.

“‘Hala started a trial e-hailing service for Dubai Taxis in May on 2000 vehicles whereby a great deal of rides  were booked using the Careem App experiencing a substantial  growth over the subsequent weeks. The service was rated at no less than 4 out of 5 stars. The estimated time of arrival (ETA) has already reached an average of 4.5 minutes versus previous average of 12-14 minutes, aiming to reach an ETA of 3 minutes in September. 50% of RTA’s Taxi fleet will be bookable on the Careem App. The trial period witnessed excellent customer and drivers’ satisfaction” said Al Tayer.

“Launching ‘Hala’ aims to improve and enhance the taxi sector in Dubai and increase efficiency, ease the finding a taxi by booking through the app, and lower the estimated time of arrival. In addition, it gives the customer special advantages such as e-payment through the app, knowing trip route and being able to share trip with others, seeing the car and driver information, and ability to rate the service and driver. ‘Hala’ will be also a part of the ‘Careem’ rewards programme whereby customers get to earn points as they ride. Along with providing  new transport features in the future, the service will support RTA in achieving full mobility integration and providing first/last mile solutions, which will help public transport users reach their final destination,” he added.

Mudassir Sheikha, Co-Founder and CEO of Careem commented: “Careem aims to simplify and improve the mobility of people in the region. Through this exciting partnership with RTA, we are now able to extend the benefits of our e-hailing technology to the mass population of Dubai through the ‘Careem’ taxi e-hailing App.”

“Customers will be able to find the closest taxi to them on demand, see a fare estimator and time of arrival and connect their credit card for easy, hassle free payment. It also means less down time for the Captains (drivers) who can optimize their time on the road through customer proximity matching and real time alerts of geographical areas experiencing high demand,” Shaikha added.

“We hope ‘Hala’ will enhance the taxi experience in Dubai for both customer and Captain (driver) and to set a new world standard where ride hailing and the public sector can obtain common benefits,” he concluded.

-Ends-

© Press Release 2019

Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release.

The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages.