Roads and Transport Authority Dubai in collaboration with Hala has launched for the first time in the region the ‘Auto Dispatch’ of taxis at EXPO 2020. With the objective of timely and efficient dispatch of taxis vital to Expo visitors which enhances their journey experience, the RTA remains committed to provide seamless and well-integrated overall transport services, including public transport.
Leveraging an innovative in-house technology developed by Careem, taxis will be automatically dispatched to EXPO 2020 based on the required demand. Vehicles will automatically receive dispatch requests to the EXPO site based on the required number of taxis needed at each hour of the day.
Hala, the Joint Venture between the Roads and Transport Authority and Careem, enables customers to book any taxi in Dubai via the Careem application. Tourists, residents, and visitors at EXPO will now have the ease of booking the taxis through their phones via the application, or self-serving kiosks. Customers will avail a one-time password (OTP) to instantly book via their mobile, connect with any driver, and immediately take off on their journey with zero waiting time.
Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO, Public Transport Agency said, “With the magnitude of visitors expected to visit Expo 2020, Roads and Transport Authority Dubai has the opportunity and responsibility of making sure that their commute is safe and seamless. Through its innovative digital solution, the ride hailing service is able to know exactly how many taxis are needed at any given time and automatically dispatch these to the Expo site. The increased taxi fleet enables the service to optimally balance supply and demand, making it more convenient for riders traveling to and from the Expo grounds.”
In line with the ‘Smart Dubai Vision’, RTA aims to ramp up and provide the entire Dubai Taxi fleet with the Hala e-hailing service and this solution, by collaborating with all of its franchise partners. This is definitely a big step in the right direction of achieving RTA’s vision of ‘The world leader in seamless & sustainable mobility’.
Basil Hovakeemian, CEO of Hala, commented, “We are extremely excited to be joining efforts with the RTA at this prestigious event. We are committed to offering customers and visitors the most efficient, convenient, and affordable taxi service possible. We have worked closely with the RTA to ensure that we maximize our technological capabilities and available fleet to deliver an innovative and reliable solution for all travelers at EXPO 2020.”