Taking a taxi in Dubai is cheap, safe and one of the fastest and most popular ways of getting around the city. You can find taxis outside malls, hotels, official taxi ranks, or wave them down in the street. The Road and Transport Authority (RTA) have also introduced an exclusive dispatch service - Hala taxi, with numerous on-board features such as free Wi-Fi, weather reports, news updates and entertainment systems.
Special Services
Taxis with a pink roof are dedicated for ladies and families. Specially equipped vehicles are also available for those with special needs (booked 24 hrs in advance).
Luxury Service:
If you want to travel in luxury, Uber is for you. Uber taxis allow you to use your smartphone to arrange a pickup in a luxury car. By downloading the Uber App and registering your credit card details, you can have a spotlessly clean car pick you up in minutes from anywhere in Dubai.
Tips
Avoid getting into unmarked taxis, not only are they illegal, you could become the victim of a scam.
Try to identify a landmark near your destination and keep Discover Dubai handy so you can check the map.
Tipping the driver isn't mandatory, but as in most places it seems the right thing to do.
BOOKING A TAXI
You can book a taxi by calling the numbers below or using the online booking service at www.etaxi.ae. You can also SMS the taxi rank number to 4774 or use the new Smart Taxi App.
For Dubai Taxi (Red Roof), Ladies and Families (Pink Roof), Special Needs or Hala Taxi (Black Roof), call 04-2080808.
Other Taxis Companies:
Al Arabia Taxi (Green Roof) 04-2855111
Cars Taxi (Blue Roof) 04-2692900
Metro Taxi (Orange Roof) 04-2673222
National Taxi (Yellow Roof) 600-543322.
Smartphone App
Download the RTA's new App 'Smart Taxi' and book a taxi with a shake of your phone. The App will locate your position and send an instant message to the nearest taxi driver. It also allows you to track the taxi's movement and look for the shortest route.