Dubai RTA Offers Up to Seven Extra Taxi Plates Under New Five-Star Operator Ratings

Five companies share the Dubai market: Dubai Taxi Company, Kabi Taxi, National Taxi, Arabia Taxi and Metro Taxi. A five-star operator will get seven additional plates plus a certificate and trophy from the RTA. A four-star operator gets five plates. Operators rated three stars or below must put in place measures to improve their performance and service standards.

Operators will be assessed on 18 indicators under four pillars: sustainability, technology, accountability and reliability. The indicators include customer satisfaction, traffic safety, vehicle cleanliness, driver behaviour, taxi availability at peak hours, electronic payments and use of smart booking platforms. The RTA will also measure how efficiently companies respond to passenger demand, including drivers' acceptance of electronic booking requests. Company ratings will be shown on smart screens inside taxis.

"It links incentives to performance results and enhances transparency and competitiveness among operators," said Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA. He said the system would introduce measures to improve the performance of lower-rated companies while encouraging the best ones to keep their lead.

Dubai's 14,346 taxis carried more than 209 million passengers on over 120 million trips in 2025, giving the sector 27 per cent of all users of public transport, shared mobility and taxis in the emirate. Of those vehicles, 12,380 were electric or hybrid. The RTA said green vehicles now make up more than 72 per cent of the taxi and limousine fleet, while electric vehicle adoption has reached 19 per cent, exceeding the target set for 2026.

The authority plans to convert the whole taxi fleet to electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2040, as part of its goal of zero-emission public transport by 2050. It is also investing in electric autonomous vehicles and expanding fast-charging infrastructure at public parking facilities and major transport locations. The RTA said the rating system will be reviewed and updated periodically.