Dubai taxis to be 100% eco-friendly
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) board of directors has approved a plan to convert Dubai taxis to 100% green (hybrid, electric and hydrogen) by 2027. The move meets the requirements of the Dubai Supreme Council for Energy, the Green Economy programme and the Dubai government’s strategic directions for integrated environmental sustainability.
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, CEO, Chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority’s Board of Executive Directors, said: “RTA has made significant progress by successfully converting 72% of taxis in Dubai to green vehicles, with a total of 8,221 hybrid vehicles. This significant achievement is in line with the overarching goal of optimising energy use, creating a sustainable environment and positioning Dubai as a leader in promoting green transport.”
“The results of the green vehicle experiments that RTA began testing in 2008 have confirmed the environmental benefits of reduced carbon dioxide emissions, fuel consumption and running costs, as well as reduced noise levels. Hybrid vehicles also have a longer life than conventional vehicles and are cheaper in the long term. They feature lower purchase, maintenance, fuel costs, insurance premiums and other associated costs, which can potentially be as much as 50% of the cost of conventional cars,” he added.
Taxis play a huge role in Dubai, as the current taxi fleet in Dubai reached 11,371 units by the end of 2022. In the same year, taxis made 105 million trips and travelled more than 2 billion kilometres.
Dubai’s infrastructure plays a key role in encouraging the use of green vehicles and increasing demand for them. The rapid pace of technology development, combined with the reduction in charging time for electric vehicles from 8 hours to less than 1.5 hours, indicates that charging time will continue to be reduced in the future, given the widespread adoption of hydrogen filling stations as an environmentally friendly alternative.
Dubai’s initial plan to convert 50% of its taxi fleet to eco-friendly has resulted in a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 420,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to 70,000 tonnes per year. This has encouraged local car companies to produce a range of hybrid vehicles specifically designed for the Gulf region.
RTA pioneered the region by starting trials of fuel-electric hybrid vehicles for its Dubai taxi fleet in 2008. This marked the beginning of RTA’s deliberate effort to transform the infrastructure of its public transport networks to make them environmentally friendly.
Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) boasts the largest fleet of environmentally friendly vehicles, with hybrid vehicles accounting for more than 34% of Dubai’s taxi fleet. It is followed by Cars Taxi, National Taxi, Arabia Taxi and Metro Taxi.
.@rta_dubai: #Dubai Taxis to become 100% eco-friendly (hybrid, electric and hydrogen-powered) by 2027. https://t.co/IGDQ1gpgEl pic.twitter.com/KGqC9e5DTS
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 6, 2023
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