The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) officials briefed members of the Travel and Tourism Group about taxis and other transport-related issues at a meeting organized by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) to discuss tourism industry concerns about RTA issues.

The meeting, held at the DTCM Head Office on Sunday (July 1), was addressed by senior RTA officials led by Mr. Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, CEO of RTA�s Public Transport Agency. Also attending the meeting were Ms. Lina Makarem Dergham, DTCM Director Business Development and Ms. Afra Al Fahim, DTCM Deputy Director Business Development, among others.

They briefed the members of the group comprising of tour operators, rent a car firms, tourism companies, hotels and hotel apartments about the RTA initiatives for public transport services in the emirate.

It was disclosed that one of the requirements to license Car Rental Companies is to have a minimum of 20 luxury cars. Within two years Dubai would have over 1000 buses connecting Dubai.

The RTA is in the process of reducing taxies� fuelling, cost and pollution. It was disclosed that city tour taxi would be in operation shortly in which RTA would have drivers for all nationalities with a comprehensible knowledge about Dubai events and location among other things and it would work on hourly basis.

The RTA presently has a total of five vans for special needs people.

About the International Driving License (IDL) and Temporary License, the industry felt that the local license was more reliable than the international one. They added that holders of a UAE license could drive in the US and UK using the license.

The RTA officials explained that other emirates do not accept visitors to drive with their local licenses. Hence, if a driver makes an accident outside Dubai, he would be taken to court for driving without a license. Moreover, the insurance would not cover the accident. Hence, the present system offered more protection to visitors and car rental firms at a license exchange fee of AED110 for certain nationalities listed on RTA website www.rta.ae . Other visitors could use their international license.

It was clarified that the IDL could later be obtained from the UAE Touring Club at the Airport, for outbound passengers only.

The RTA will contact Ministry of Interior asking that UAE law be amended to allow for reciprocal use of domestic license with certain countries. The RTA said it would consider empowering reputed car rental firms to issue temporary license for domestic license holders of approved nationalities.

The RTA is offering the exchange service at two shopping malls operating from 10 am to midnight.

The RTA rejected members� suggestion that tourism and hotel establishments be charged a flat fee since this would not foster awareness to reduce congestion.

It was also disclosed that RTA was considering waiving the toll between 10 pm and 6 am.

About the freelance safari drivers, the DTCM officials asked RTA to assist in supporting the tourism industry as regards to this problematic issue. The issue started first with the Dubai Police in 1999, when they agreed to allow freelancers to practice the overland tourist safari activity by obtaining the special license due to seasonal demand and lack of enough full-timers. The RTA gave freelancers a grace period from until May 2007. During this time, the DTCM raised the matter with the Ministry of Labour. The ministry promised to look into it in order to find the right formality to allow such practice. The issue was still pending with the ministry.

The RTA officials suggested that existing inbound tour operator presently leasing 4WDs and drivers should be licensed to do so. The government department employees should obtain a NOC from their sponsor.

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