So how much does a taxi driver have to make in a day?
Dubai taxi drivers get paid on commission. They don’t get fixed salary. So the more money they make the greater their commission would be. On top of that, the percentage of commission also increases with higher average per day revenue that the drivers generate. So the highest they can get is 35% if they earn an average of AED 350 per day. If they make less than that the commission would decrease to 30%, 25% and so on. So everyone wants to make at least 350 Dirhams per day to maximize their earnings. And they have to meet this target within 12 hours of their shift. That includes breaks and all so make that around 9-10 hours. Add Dubai traffic in the equation and the target becomes quite challenging.
That explains why the taxi drivers avoid picking up passengers during rush hour. It takes at least 30 minutes to cover 5 KM (if you want to go less than 5 KM, you are better off walking) and any significant distance in Dubai is at least 15 KM. That would take you over an hour. A taxi would make not more than 60-70 bucks in that time, and waste additional time trying to get to a place where they can find next passenger. So in more than two hours they make very little money.
During off-peak hours the taxis will take you anywhere, since none of the above factors come into play. And they can meet their target in minimum amount of time.
Another reason you might not be able to get a taxi in timely manner is that you are looking for a taxi at 6 PM. That’s when the shift changes for the drivers. I know that’s the worse time for shift change, and what’s even worse is that all drivers have the same shift change schedule. So between 530 PM and 630 PM it’s hard to get a taxi. Plus that’s also a rush hour.
So next time you are stuck in a crowded place wondering why on earth you are unable to find a taxi, think about the reasons explained above.
Off course, you can’t blame the drivers for that. The authorities have to make some changes in the way they pay the drivers and manage the taxis to solve this problem. The details of this is beyond the scope of this discussion.
To be continued…
Related posts:
- Paid Parking in Dubai Malls
- Fog on Emirates Road
- Jobs in Dubai – Dubai Employment Tips
- Dubai Metro Starts
- Late Warning
