# Taking Taxis vs. Leasing a Car



## TheStegg (Jan 12, 2011)

My wife and I will be relocating to Dubai in about a month.

Part of our expat package includes an allowance for a car. However, the manager of our internal relocation team has told me that most of our other expats just use taxis and don't bother with leasing a car.

We'll be in-country for about 18 months, and will probably live somewhere near the Tecom zone. 

I'm a little dubious. Is that feasible? Are the taxi's that cheap and plentiful? I don't want to be stuck sitting on the curb in 130 degree heat waiting for a cab to come by or have to walk in that same heat to a transit station. 

What do you all think?


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## ReggieDXB007 (Mar 10, 2011)

The answer to that - like eveything is, it all depends. I certainly have friends who rely solely on taxis, and now there is the possibility of using public transport, but personally I could not do without my car. You need to consider the following:

- The distances and routes that you would typically travel in a day
- The botheration factor of getting a taxi when you want it vs the ready availability of your car
- The hassle factor of dealing with the ocassional taxi driver who doesn't speak much English, doesn't know his way around Dubai and drives in a way that makes you uncomfortable.

The first category, will determine the relative costs. If where you live and where you work are close (my colleague lived in the next building to his work), especially if you can walk to work, then it is a no brainer. You should be aware that there are certain times when taxis totally disappear - Thursday evening, Friday brunch time etc. The system of calling for a taxi breaks down at peak times because they won't tell you if they can't get one - you simply keep waiting. And if there's somethign big on in town (like GITEX), then forget about it. If you live and work somewhere on the Metro, then at least you have options - not that I've used it. Taxi fares are still relatively cheap compared to other (European) countries but it can rack up. To give you an example, I live 10 kms from my work and the typical fare is dhs 40. So, it probably would be cheaper for me to use taxis than hire a car. However you have to allow the hassle factor, because it can get tricky to find a cab in the evenings as work is next to a big residential area and that is when everyone is setting off for the evening. Furthermore, I only need to use a taxi once or twice more in the day (and given the zero tolerance drink-driving rules this is highly likely), and for me a taxi quickly becomes uneconomical. Since there is no Metro station near my house (I live near the beach road) and a 15 minute walk from my office (you won't believe this but this is untenable in the summer) my options are limited.

I've sort of touched on the second category. If you are an organised person and book your taxis in good time before you probably won't have that much of a problem although I remember the days when taxi bookings would be cancelled without informing anyone because they would all be routed to some huge exhibition at the other end of town. I've spent too much time in 45 degrees sweltering in my suit to want to do this regularly.

The third factor is somethign personal. Most taxi drivers are from cultures which are very different to ours and used to driving conditions which are very aggressive. I find myself clenching and braking in the back seat and don't often enjoy the experience. Plus many of them have an incomprehensible see saw relationship with the accellerator which makes me car sick. But you could be a lot more laid back of course.

I've probably confused you even more now!


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

My offer was a bit different....when I landed the company offered me the company car with a driver for couple of weeks.

Taxis are cheap and there is a minimum fair of 10 dirhams in Dubai. You gotta walk with cash and change in your pockets.

There are taxis, but honestly, nothing beats the comfort of driving yourself a car. So I rented one for awhile and it sucks to wait for a taxi or compete for one while waiting. 

You can either rent or buy a used one. Cars are cheap. If you rent, check with FAST (UAE) . You gotta rent with insurance since north american credit card waivers are not accepted, but they are cheap anyhow to have in your monthly package.


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Rent a car, you will see alot more of Dubai. Taxis are ok for getting about town but what if you fancy a trip out to the dessert or to see the Mosque in AD?. How are you going to get to Barracuda? Take a weekend break to Fujurah? Even getting back from the beach will be a hassle when you are stuck at the side of the road waiting for a passing taxi.


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## DubaiATC (Jun 26, 2010)

wandabug said:


> Rent a car, you will see alot more of Dubai.


*Agreed, you don't want to be limited to traveling by just taxis.* 



wandabug said:


> How are you going to get to Barracuda?


*EXACTLY!! PRIORITIES!!!*


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Yes there are plentiful of taxis but most people will find it more convenient to have a car especially if you are used to driving everywhere.


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## Andrew James (Nov 6, 2010)

Hi,

I'm in a similar position. I purposefully live in Dubai Marina so that I have good metro access and for anywhere that the metro doesn't go, I use a taxi.

I based it on the following:

If I'm going to rent or lease a car for just a little less than AED 2,000 per month, then if my taxis and metro are less than 500 a week, and I don't feel "stuck", I'll stay without a car. You can use the bus to get down to Abu Dhabi for AED 20 which is good too.

When I need to start going to Al Ain, I will see it's possible to rent a car for a couple of days at a reasonable cost.

Best,

Andrew


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Andrew Landin said:


> Hi,
> 
> You can use the bus to get down to Abu Dhabi for AED 20 which is good too.
> 
> ...


I did not have a good experience going by bus AD to DXB round trip. The bus station was packed and I had to wait couple of hours. You will travel on the holidays I guess and you will need a car. You can also "hire a car" with a driver too but again you will be competing with bunch of people who look for that kind of service (mostly tourists)

You are better off -without doubt- with a car.


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## Andrew James (Nov 6, 2010)

Canuck_Sens said:


> I did not have a good experience going by bus AD to DXB round trip. The bus station was packed and I had to wait couple of hours. You will travel on the holidays I guess and you will need a car. You can also "hire a car" with a driver too but again you will be competing with bunch of people who look for that kind of service (mostly tourists)
> 
> You are better off -without doubt- with a car.



Hi,

Perhaps I've been fortunate with my trips to Abu Dhabi, I've always got a seat and the buses have run on time. I get the bus from Ibn Battuta as I live close by so maybe that's a difference?

I spend a lot of my time in and around Marina Walk so a car probably isn't best for me but it just goes to show that it's all about opinions and our own perspective on these matters.

Best,

Andrew


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

Ah, the joys of being a woman in this place! Used the bus once and did not have any problems, which was more than I could say for my male friend! Isn't it lovely to get there last and have all the guys stand aside whilst you board the bus! 

Agree though that a car is more convenient. I work in Abu Dhabi so I HAVE to rent a car - I'll be bankrupt if I tried to use taxis! So much so that when we have work outings, whoever draws the short straw has to drive everyone back to Dubai as it's too expensive to use taxis!

I also do no enjoy the experience of baking in the hot summer sun, with no taxis anywhere in sight! It's unbearable to be outside for longer than 5 seconds in the summer months.

As Reggie has also pointed out, some taxi drivers have a totally different concept to driving than the rest of us! And yes, you get to your destination and your stomach is in knots and you are that pale than one would wonder if you've just seen a ghost! I prefer to have my life in my own hands and have had enough bad experiences with taxi drivers for me to justify getting my own car.

It all comes down to each individual but for me, having a car is very convenient and I really cannot live without my own wheels!


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Maz25 said:


> As Reggie has also pointed out, some taxi drivers have a totally different concept to driving than the rest of us! And yes, you get to your destination and your stomach is in knots and you are that pale than one would wonder if you've just seen a ghost! I prefer to have my life in my own hands and have had enough bad experiences with taxi drivers for me to justify getting my own car.
> 
> It all comes down to each individual but for me, having a car is very convenient and I really cannot live without my own wheels!



For you all: Get a cab and have a chat with the driver. Ask him how much money he has to bring per month for his company and how he gets paid. Don t forget to ask about the shifts..very important

When you get the answers you will understand why they tend to drive like that..
...
blv it or not, you would too if you were in their shoes...


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

Canuck_Sens said:


> For you all: Get a cab and have a chat with the driver. Ask him how much money he has to bring per month for his company and how he gets paid. Don t forget to ask about the shifts..very important
> 
> When you get the answers you will understand why they tend to drive like that..
> ...
> blv it or not, you would too if you were in their shoes...


I would love to but I can't as I'm too busy praying for my life!

There is NO excuse for dangerous driving and if you crash, then you would not be bringing in more fare to meet your quota! You would be in jail until you find the blood money to buy your way out!

Someone I know nearly died last week (saving grace was the side airbags, which there are none in taxis for the matter!) because of some idiot driving like an absolute maniac so no one will ever convince me that dangerous driving is justified! There is value to human life and sorry, but my life is worth more than a taxi driver's AED 3000 quota! And it's more difficult to meet that quota if we are all too scared of the driving to even get in a taxi! I would use a taxi actually if I felt safe and comfortable with the driving standards - reality is, the driving standards scare the living daylights out of me and as long as I have a choice, I refuse to get into a taxi!

And that's the reason why I also choose to drive - I'd rather not die on the roads of Dubai just cause someone was trying to make up a quota!


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## Jumeirah Jim (Jan 24, 2011)

I'll be commuting from Dubai to Abu Dhabi at least 3 days a week from next month and know that (a) I'll get sick of the drive and (b) there might be times (like when going out in AD) that I want to leave my car at home. 

Andrew and Maz you mentioned the bus but I've been searching google and the RTA website and can't find out anything about where it stops and how often it runs. Can you point me in the direction of anywhere that might give me details please?


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

Here you go! RTA
I've never really seen any time tables and have simply turned up at the bus station and taken any bus that is leaving at that time. The Al Ghazal bus waits until it's full before leaving but is more flexible in terms of the stops - they tend to stop close to any major malls and seems you just ask the driver to drop you off close to your stop (that's what I did on the way back to Dubai)

EDIT: Do you have any colleagues that will be doing the journey with you? If so, why don't you carpool? It's more convenient and means that you can be more flexible with the times you leave in the morning and come back in the evening. I carpool with 3 other people and on average drive just once a week (unless I'm going to site or one my colleagues is on leave). It means that I can have a extra couple of minutes in bed (very important! ) and have the luxury of being picked up from my door step and dropped off back home.


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## Andrew James (Nov 6, 2010)

Hi,

I only use the service from Ibn Battuta, so not the main Dubai bus station. I also only know the times from Ibn Battuta to Abu Dhabi and not the other way around but I'd hazard a guess that you probably add two hours to the Ibn Battuta departure time (for about a 1.5 hr journey and then a little time at Abu Dhabi bus station). The times are:

6am, 7.30am, 9am, 10am, 4pm, 5.30pm, 7pm, 8pm, and it's bus E101

On the way back to Ibn Battuta, I just go to the Abu Dhabi bus station and pick up the first bus in the direction I want that comes along. It's not too stressful.

Best, 

Andrew


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