Dubai's Green Vision: Petrol-Based Taxis to Be Replaced by 2027

The Dubai RTA office announces to phase out the petrol-based taxis from the Dubai taxi fleet and make it completely eco-friendly by 2027. This newly launched plan from the Emirates Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) tells that all taxis will be electric cars and hybrid cars, or hydrogen-powered at the end of the five-year plan. 

Currently, more than 70% of RTA taxis fall under the electric or hybrid vehicles category. Further, the transport chiefs say that 100% will be achieved successfully by the end of 2027.

“The five-year plan which starts from 2023 to the end of 2027, aims to switch the whole taxi fleet into environmentally-friendly vehicles,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the RTA.

“The plan is aligned with the RTA’s road map for transforming public transport means into emission-free by 2050.&rdquo

Mr. Al Tayer tells that the Dubai RTA test over a 15-year period found that eco-friendly taxis are more fuel-efficient and cost-effective.

The experiment on eco-friendly cars which the RTA started trialing in 2008 confirmed the results of reduction in carbon emissions, fuel consumption, and noise levels,” he said.

Hybrid vehicles have a longer lifespan as compared to Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and less maintenance cost.”

They are outlined by lower purchase prices, maintenance cost, fuel expenses, insurance premiums, and other related costs that potentially could be as low as 50 percent of regular vehicles.”

The bold transport plan in Dubai calls for one in twenty taxis to be driverless by 2023

At the end of 2022, there were just under 11,380 taxis operating on Dubai's roads, of which 8,220 were eco-friendly.

The RTA reported that Dubai taxis covered more than two billion kilometers in the past year, with 105 million trips.

The news has been outsourced from the "National news" website.