Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, has issued a law to regulate and organise taxi services in Abu Dhabi.

Law No. 19 of 2006 calls for the setting up of a centre to be known as "Taxi Transport Organising Centre", which shall be responsible for organising all kinds of taxi services in the emirate.

The centre shall be an independent corporate body enjoying financial and administrative independence and full legal status to operate. It will be affiliated to the Department of Transport.

A Compensation Fund is to be set up to pay compensation to taxi owners, whose licenses have been revoked by virtue of the new law.

The fund, which is also an independent corporate body enjoying financial independence, may be dissolved and its properties liquidated by virtue of a Cabinet decree.

The centre and the fund will have their headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Their branch offices may be opened in other towns within the Abu Dhabi emirate, the law said.

Director-general to head

All prerogatives and authorities related to taxi transport and hitherto being exercised by the Abu Dhabi Transport Administration by virtue of Law no. 32 of 2005, which organises and regulates the transportation sector in Abu Dhabi, are to be transferred to the new centre, the law stated.

The new law empowers the centre to draw the general policy of taxi transport in the emirate, boost and develop taxi transport system in Abu Dhabi and propose decisions related to its activities.

The centre shall have a director-general who shall be responsible for the running and managing its affairs. The director-general shall execute the centre's policies and shall be supported by staff and workers. His appointment shall be made by virtue of a decree to be issued by the chairman of the Transport Department, with all his duties and prerogatives clearly outlined.

Anybody who operates a car as taxi without a license from the authorised bodies shall be liable to a penalty of a fine not less than Dh5,000 or a maximum of Dh10,000 and a jail term of not more than 30 days or any of the two penalties.

The penalty shall be doubled if the violator repeated the offence, the law said.

The new law abrogates any rule regarding Law no. 32 of 2005 that contradicts or prejudices the rules of this new law, said the new law. The law will take effect from the date of its issuance and is to be published in the official gazette.

Key points

Penalty for unauthorised services

• The law sets up Taxi Transport Organising Centre to organise all kinds of taxi services in Abu Dhabi emirate.
• It also sets up a Compensation Fund to compensate taxi owners who lose their licenses to run service in the emirate.
• The law also states that anyone who is found running a taxi service without license will either be fined between Dh5,000 and Dh10,000 or given a jail sentence of 30 days or both. For repeat offence the penalty is doubled. 

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