Sharjah-Dubai taxi trip to cost Dh4

Sharjah: A new scheme introduced by Sharjah Taxi aims to make it easier for low-income earners to travel by taxi to Dubai from Sharjah.
"On Sunday we launched a new shared taxi service that can accommodate up to seven passengers. Each person will only have to pay Dh4 to go to any of three destinations in Dubai," said Jasem Al Beloushi, director of Sharjah Taxi.
The low-fare taxis will start their trip from National Paints roundabout and drop off passengers at Al Qusais Industrial Area, Jamal Abdul Nasser Square in Deira, and Al Quoz Industrial Area.
"National Paints roundabout was chosen as the terminal because many people living in the area are workers who cannot afford to use the regular taxis," said Al Beloushi.
Sharjah Taxi will use eight dedicated vehicles for the new service and plans to commit an additional 30 vehicles by January, he said.
Sharjah Taxi is currently the only franchise company that offers shared taxi services.
"If people wanted to save costs, they used to take the inter-emirate bus for Dh5. But by paying Dh1 less, they can get to their destination faster than by using the bus," Al Beloushi said. Similar services will also be offered to two new destinations in Ajman by September, he added.
The taxis to Ajman will start at the main taxi terminal in Al Rolla and drop off passengers at Ajman City Centre and Industrial Area.
Sharjah Taxi is also looking to strengthen its overall fleet and plans to get an additional 100 vehicles operational in July.
Do you think this service will be a success? Would you use it? Which areas do you think would benefit from this service?