Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is set to add 554 hybrid cars to its taxi fleet.Â
The vehicles, fitted with a combination of fuel engine and electric motors, currently form 11% of Dubai Taxi Corporation’s (DTC) fleet.Â
READ:Â RTA adds 80 hybrid Toyota Camry vehicles to fleet
RTA’s procurement of 554 vehicles is expected to support DTC’s target to increase the share of hybrid vehicles in its taxi fleet – currently 503-unit strong – to 17%.Â
The board of executive directors of RTA, chaired by director-general and board chairman, HE Mattar Al Tayer, endorsed the procurement contract.Â
Remarking on the move, Al Tayer said: “RTA is the first government entity in the region to experiment the operation of hybrid taxicabs fitted with electric-fuel engines from 2008 to 2011.
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“The results of the experiment revealed that such vehicles had covered 550,000km without faults or requiring maintenance of major parts.
“Fuel efficiency reached 30% and carbon emission dropped by 30% as well,” Al Tayer added.
READ:Â Lexus hybrid sales in the UAE grow by 225% in H1 2017
RTA’s plans include converting 50% of Dubai’s taxis to hybrid vehicles by 2021.Â
The initiative is anticipated to increase the number of hybrid vehicles in Dubai from 147 vehicles in 2015 to to 2,375 vehicles by 2018, 3,167 by 2019, and to 3,959 vehicles by 2020.
Up to 4,750 hybrid taxis could be in operation in Dubai by 2021, Dubai Media Office reported. Â
