Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) on Monday announced that its taxi booking and dispatch services will move entirely to Hala, the joint venture between RTA and Careem, as of December 7, 2019.

Customers will, therefore, no longer be able to book RTA cabs via their call centre.

“This step marks a paradigm shift of Dubai Taxi booking process from the call centre to Hala. It is part of RTA’s strategic drive to support the  Dubai Government’s Smart City initiative. This transition comes after a landmark one-millionth booking within days after the official launch of Hala service on 29 August 2019,” said Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency.

“The full transition of taxi booking and dispatch services to Hala platform will start on December 7, 2019. Several actions have been put into effect in order to guarantee a smooth transition for customers who are used to calling 04-2080808 to order a Dubai Taxi. The step contributes to RTA’s objective of revamping taxi services in Dubai making the service more accessible through e-hailing, and at the same time advancing the integration of public transit means. Among the additional benefits that customers will enjoy from this innovative way of booking a Dubai taxi, is the ability to raise any questions or concerns directly via the Careem in-app chat. Safety and lost & found issues will remain to be handled by RTA’s Call Centre (8009090). Customers will also be able to book taxis from all over Dubai with a shorter estimated time of arrival (ETA),” he added.

Highlighting the importance of the transition, Clemence Dutertre, CEO of Hala, said: “Our mission is to offer the best experience to customers when booking a ride in Dubai. The migration of the Dubai Taxi booking process to Hala will continue to ensure the most efficient experience for customers, connecting users to the closest Dubai Taxi at the touch of a button. Hala customers will get a booking confirmation in less than 10 seconds, get a taxi in an average of 3.5 minutes, and benefit from an enhanced experience with an average quality rating of 4.8/5 stars. Hala offers its customers a smarter way to get around Dubai by knowing their fare upfront, driver details, tracking their route, and paying through cash or credit card.”