Uber and RTA have joined forces to trial UberX in Dubai.

Ride-hailing app Uber has launched its lowest-cost service in Dubai, which should see fares on par with regular taxis.

A pilot service of UberX will be rolled out gradually over a trial period of three months, starting from today, it has been announced.

Until now, Uber hasn’t been able to offer its economy service here as transport regulations require private hire cars to charge rates 30 per cent higher than regular taxis.

However, the announcement follows a partnership agreement between Uber and the Roads and Transport Authority to look at offering an economy solution in line with Dubai Vision 2021.

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The new service will be priced lower than the current UberSELECT service available in Dubai.

Here are are the pricing details:

Dhs5 base fare

Dhs1.37 per km

Dhs0.4 per minute

When the trial period ends, Uber and the RTA will analyse the results to decide whether to carry on, develop or discontinue the service.

If successful, it could lead to the development of other Uber products in Dubai like UberPOOL (when you share a ride with strangers heading in the same direction), or even UberElevate (yep, that’s the flying cars one).

“The announcement of this pilot service is very encouraging news for Dubai,” RTA public transport agency CEO Abdulla Yousef Al Ali said.

“The pilot will offer an affordable option for residents to move around Dubai, and encourage a larger pool of people to reconsider car ownership, and instead opt for more convenient and efficient transport solutions, which we believe would translate to a happier city.”

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