Taxis are quite commonly used in Dubai by residents and tourists alike. However, if you are curious about all sorts of different coloured taxis on the road and want to know how to book a taxi, then give this guide on Dubai Taxis a read.
It covers all the functional taxi services in the Emirate except London Taxi Model, which is working on trial basis for now but will soon be hitting the roads.
Here is all you need to know about different types of Dubai taxi services and their fares.
Types of Dubai Taxis
1. Public Taxi Dubai
You can distinguish Public Taxi in Dubai easily as it has no branding but a simple red rooftop. Although rarely, you might spot occasional advertisements on the doors and back bumper. Public taxi is one of the most affordable taxis in Dubai and is also called DTC Taxi, as it falls under Dubai Taxi Corporation. Moreover, you can avail the service of Public Taxi to travel from Dubai to any other Emirate within the UAE. Fare charges may vary according to your pickup and drop-off locations.
Public Taxi Dubai Features
- Regularly maintained taxis
- Competitive pricing
- Easy bookings
- Professional taxi drivers
- Estimated time of arrival is within 45 minutes or less after booking
- 24/7 customer support via call centre
How to Book:
You can book a ride on DTC taxi by calling 04 2080808
Public Taxi Fare in Dubai
The base fare of Dubai Taxi is AED 12 with AED 1.97 per kilometre charges.
Note that the charges may vary according to the time of the day and location. There is also a dynamic pricing strategy for taxis in Dubai. The new flag-down rate for Dubai Taxi for the 2023-24 festive season is AED 20. The increased fare is applicable during government-back events to promote tourism.
2. Airport Taxi Dubai
Airport taxi service is exclusive for visitors at Dubai International Airport. A distinguishing feature of airport taxis in Dubai is their large family size vehicles. Whether you are travelling alone with a single bag or with a family with multiple travel bags, you will be travelling in a family-sized van.
Airport Taxi Dubai Features
- Airport taxis are spacious
- All taxis are regularly maintained
- Competitive pricing
- Professional taxi drivers
- You get luggage assistance
- Available 24/7
- Available at Terminal 1, 2 & 3 of Dubai International Airport
How to Book:
You can easily book Airport Taxi from Terminal 1, 2 and 3 at the airport. Alternatively, you can call on 04 2080808 to book an airport taxi in advance.
Airport Taxi Fare in Dubai
The meter for Airport taxis has a starting price from AED 25 after which the rate is calculated at AED 1.96 per kilometre.
3. Luxury Taxi Dubai
This unique taxi service by the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) offers luxurious comfort, privacy and distinct drivers. It differs tremendously from regular taxi service with each car accompanied by a chauffeur. The luxury taxi is ideal for Dubai visitors, business people and other corporate, government and tourism industry clients.
Services Offered by Luxury Taxi Dubai
- Luxury vehicles such as Tesla, Lexus and Infiniti
- Regularly maintained luxury taxis
- Premium pricing
- Various charging methods: meter based, zone-based or time-based
- Easy bookings through website, smart apps, email and telephone
- Professional chauffeurs
- Estimated time of arrival is 30 minutes or less
- 24/7 customer support available via care centre
- Complimentary meet & greet services and personal welcoming at Terminal 1, 2 & 3 of Dubai International Airport
- Digital portable sign to identify guest
- Accompanying the guest to the VIP lounge
- Assistance with luggage available
- Customised welcoming
How to Book: If you are travelling to Dubai, you book a ride in one of 20 luxury black vehicles available at Dubai International Airport Terminal 1 and 3. You can even book the luxury ride from outside the airport by dialling 04 2080808.
Luxury Taxi Fare in Dubai
The meter for Luxury Taxi has a starting price of AED 50 after which the rate is calculated AED 25 per kilometre from Dubai airport. However, if you book a Luxury Taxi from outside the airport, then the starting price of a meter is AED 7.5, and the rate is calculated at AED 3.5 per kilometre.
4. Ladies and Family Taxi Dubai
You must have spotted a bright pink rooftop taxi on the roads of Dubai. These pink taxis are Ladies and Families Taxis by DTC. All pink taxis are driven by female drivers.
Ladies and Family Taxi Dubai Features
- Safe ride for ladies, kids and families
- Pink taxis are modern & regularly maintained
- Female drivers are professional & highly trained
- Available at Terminal 1, 2 and 3 of Dubai International Airport
- Available 24/7
How to Book:
Any female user of any nationality can book this spacious taxi by calling 04 2080808 directly. You can also request a pick-up by Ladies and Family Taxi from Dubai International Airport or any shopping mall or hospital in Dubai.
Ladies and Family Taxi Fare in Dubai
The opening fare is AED 6 during the day and evening hours. It is AED 7 after 10.00 pm.
If you book a ride in Ladies and Family from the airport the meter will start from AED 25 and then the price will be calculated at AED 1.96 per km.
Similar to Public Taxi, Ladies and Family Taxi service also has different fares at different times of the day, such as:
- 6 am to 10 pm: The meter starts at AED 5
- 10 pm to 6 am: The meter starts at AED 5.50
- In the case of booking and distribution, the meter starts between AED 10 – AED 12
You can hail a pink taxi and various other taxi services in Abu Dhabi as well.
5. People of Determination Taxi Dubai
People of Determination Taxi are designed for people with special needs, hailing the tagline “Special Wheel for Special Need”. You can easily distinguish People of Determination Taxi by not only its bigger size but also by its universal special needs blue logo on the taxi’s side doors and back window.
People of Determination Taxi Dubai Features
- Safe transport for people of determination
- Modern & highly-equipped taxis
- Professional & highly trained drivers
- Available at Terminal 1, 2 and 3 of Dubai International Airport
- Available 24/7
How to Book:
You can choose to reserve this taxi 24 hours in advance by dialling 04 2080808 on your phone.
People of Determination Taxi Fare in Dubai
The fare of People of Determination Taxi in Dubai varies according to the location and time of the day.
UAE also offers driving facilities for people of determination to help them commute easily.
6. Hatta Taxi Dubai
Hatta Taxi is an exclusive service for the people living in the city of Hatta. It offers pick and drop service to customers from Dubai to Hatta and vice-versa. You can get on a Hatta Taxi from any of the following stops:
- Al Sabkha (near Public Bus Station)
- Al Aweer (Fruit and Vegetable market)
Hatta Taxi Dubai Features
- Modern & regularly maintained taxis
- Professional and highly trained drivers
- Can be booked at any time of the day
How to Book:
You can choose to ride on Hatta Taxi alone or share the ride with up to 6 passengers to split the fare. Also, only the residents of Hatta can book the taxi in advance via the Dispatch Centre. People from other Emirates would have to visit the aforementioned taxi stops to take a ride in Hatta Taxi.
Hatta Taxi Fare in Dubai
Riding the Hatta taxi costs AED 25 per person in the 7-seater vehicle.
7. In Safe Hands Dubai Taxi
If you are worried about travelling alone or are extra cautious for your wife or kid to take public transport then In Safe Hands Taxi is for you. This taxi service offers speedy service, along with privacy and safety for your passengers.
In Safe Hands Dubai Taxi Features
- Safe taxi for family, ladies, children and people of determination as it considers customers’ privacy
- Modern & regularly maintained taxis
- Professional & highly trained taxi drivers
- Can be booked 24/7
How to Book:
Whether you are a woman, a child or someone with special needs, you can avail the services of In Safe Hands Taxi by calling 04 2080555, by filling out the application online or by sending an email to insafehands.mashawer@dtc.gov.ae.
In Safe Hands Service Fare Dubai
Before you take a ride with In Safe Hands Taxi, you need to deposit a refundable amount of AED 200. Any Salik toll you pass will be charged to the customer. Also, the passenger would have to pay AED 20 fee to enter Sharjah. The starting meter charge is AED 25, after which the fare is calculated at AED 1.86 per kilometre. There is also an additional waiting charge i.e. AED 0.50 per minute.
8. Rental Taxi Dubai
Let’s say you have plans for the entire day and need to travel by road then the easiest solution is using a Rental Taxi offered by DTC.
Rental Taxi Dubai Features
- Regularly maintained taxis
- Competitive pricing
- Easy bookings
- Professional and trained taxi drivers
- Estimated time of arrival within 45 minutes or less of booking
- 24/7 customer support via care centre
How to Book:
You can book the rental taxi 24 hours in advance by calling 04 2080808.
Rental Taxi Fare in Dubai
You can book a rental Dubai taxi for a fare of AED 500 for 6 hours, AED 800 for 12 hours or AED 1000 for 24 hours.
Also, you can rent a car in Dubai and drive it yourself if hiring a taxi is not your cup of tea. Have a look at these car rental companies at Dubai Airport.
9. Hala Dubai Taxi E-hailing Service
Hala Taxi is a joint venture of RTA and Careem. This e-hailing taxi company in Dubai announced its launch in August 2019. The project promised 5500 Hala taxis to be out on the streets serving passengers by September 2019. Another cool claim by Hala is that with so many taxis scattered across Dubai, the estimated time of arrival would be reduced to 5 minutes.
Hala Dubai Taxi Features
- Collect reward points for each ride
- ETA is shown before booking
- You have the drivers details
- Pay as you like with cash, card or rewards
How to Book:
People can now book a Dubai Taxi via Careem app, one of the best transportation apps in Dubai
Hala Taxi Fare in Dubai
The fare for Hala Taxi in Dubai for regular hours during the day is AED 8 and AED 9 during night time. Then it is AED 1.91 per kilometre. However, during peak hours, the starting fare increases to AED 12.
10. SMS Taxi Dubai
RTA has incorporated the SMS facility to all transport services. There are a couple of restrictions when it comes to SMS Taxi, such as:
- Only Etisalat users can use SMS Taxi facility by sending SMS
- You must only send the area code in English digits.
SMS Taxi Dubai Features
- No registration required – easy booking
- Trained and professional taxi drivers
- Competitive pricing
How to Book:
You can now book a taxi by sending an SMS. Just enter the area code you want your taxi to pick you up from and send it to 4774. The Distribution and Reservation System of RTA will immediately hook you up with the nearest cab driver. You will then receive a confirmation SMS of your successful booking.
That concludes the guide on Dubai taxis. To know about the fares and rates, go through these estimated RTA Dubai taxi fares for different types. If you wish to know more about what other modes of public transport RTA offers then give a read to types of public transport in Dubai for easy travelling across the Emirate. Finally, you can have a look at these used cars for sale in Dubai if you prefer owning a car for urgent travelling and have not bought one yet.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blog for more information on taxis in the Emirates.
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