Number of taxis operating in Dubai jumped to 9,500 as 400 new vehicles joined the fleet, Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC), a subsidiary of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Friday.

DTC is by far the biggest taxi franchise in the city operating 5,000 taxis, more than half of the overall fleet size. This number includes the 400 news vehicles.

The firm announced that it has procured 400 Nissan Altima cars at a cost of Dh26.4 million. DTC has also signed an agreement with Arabian Automobiles Company, the sole distributor of Nissan cars in Dubai and the northern emirates, that incorporates fleet management and maintenance.

“DTC released a tender through Tejari.com for procuring 818 saloon cars and the Arabian Automobiles Company submitted the winning bid. In fact, the company is already one of the key suppliers of the DTC taxi fleet, which comprises 4,600 taxicabs,” said Dr. Yousuf Al Ali, CEO of Dubai Taxi Corporation.

“Under this Agreement, the Arabian Automobiles Company will provide support and technically knowhow to DTC and train DTC’s employees and technicians on the maintenance of the supplied vehicles,” he said.

Earlier this year, Dubai’s taxi fleet was also boosted by the inclusion of around 100 hybrid vehicles.