Four passengers now allowed to travel in Hala van taxis in Dubai

Upto four passengers can now ride a Hala taxi van together, replacing the earlier cap that restricted vehicles to carry just two customers, Hala announced on September 10.

Hala, a joint venture between Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and Careem, confirmed that in line with RTA guidelines, four passengers will be allowed to travel in Hala vans booked on the Careem app.

Due to the two rows of passenger seating present in Hala van taxis, four passengers can sit, two to a row, to maintain social distancing.

The price for the van service is likened to that of a regular taxi.

With limited taxi vans available for street hail in the city, booking on the Careem app allows riders to secure their ride and see their waiting time and fare upfront.

Average arrival times for Hala vans currently sit at 6 minutes.

Clemence Dutertre, CEO of Hala, said: “As ever, we remain committed to using technology to unlock easy movement around Dubai. We are pleased to announce this positive move and hope it can make travel that little bit simpler for those of our riders who need to travel in groups, whether that be friends or families.”

In July, Hala announced that all taxi drivers operating under its service were to pass a temperature test before picking up passengers, part of an upgrade of the service’s health standards in the wake of Covid-19.

Read: Dubai Hala taxi service lays down stringent health and hygiene rules in the wake of Covid-19