Abu Dhabi is cracking down on ‘illegal transportation’ in the capital, as it aims to ensure the public are safe on the city’s roads.
Illegal transportation means any driver transporting passengers for financial gain without appropriate licences and permits, and The Centre for Regulation of Transport by Hire Cares in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (TransAD) has teamed up with the Department of Transport (DoT) to combat the problem.
The DoT and TransAD warned commuters of the dangers of using illegal transport, including risks to their health and safety. The agencies have announced a range of new regulations, including an expansion to bus services to combat the need for illegal transport – aiming for 1,400 buses to service 165 routes by 2015.
More than 2,000 illegal commuting cases have been stopped in Abu Dhabi this year, but the DoT and TransAD are now hoping the new measures will eradicate the issue completely.
They called on the public, hoping to raise awareness – saying the drivers themselves may not realise they are breaking the law.
Some of the problem areas they plan to target include Bani Yas, near Al Wahda Mall and areas with labour-housing. New bus services will be added to these locations to reduce any market for illegal transportation.
Director of Public Transport Division at DoT, Eng. Hashim Al Hashimi said: “commuting people via unauthorised or illegally licenced vehicles pose various challenges for the public… such as low standards of safety, security and quality.”
The DoT outlined their regulations – incuding vehicle inspections, training programmes for transporting passengers, health checks of drivers and inspectors – to ensure legal transport remains of a high quality.
Director of franchise and licencing at TransAD, Mohamed Al Hosani emphasised the services available via taxi – the call centre is available for complaints and lost property, ordering taxis and feedback of any kind, ensuring safety and honesty.
Al Hosani also urged the public to report any cases. He said: “I would like to call upon the public to inform of any illegal commuting case by unlicenced vehicles or drivers.”
The maximum penalty for providing illegal transport is AED 10,000 and 30 days imprisonment.
