Bahrain is studying the experience of Dubai in developing its taxi services, it was revealed.

A Bahraini delegation has just returned from a visit to Dubai Taxi Agency at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

The delegation was headed by Economic Development Board deputy chief executive for special projects Ausamah Al Absi.

Members of the delegation included General Directorate of Traffic licensing affairs director Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Al Dossary and officer of operations and traffic control Lieutenant Nawaf Naji Al Hashel.

Al Absi said the visit focused on maximising the benefits of the advanced expertise of Dubai Taxi Agency and modern technologies applied in conducting its business so that they may be applied in Bahrain.

"We have also discussed exchanging expertise between the two sides," he told the Gulf Dialy News.

"We reviewed the roles of reservation and distribution section and the training centre at Dubai Taxi Agency. "We also made a site visit to Drivers Welfare Section."

Al Absi said there were no plans to copy the Dubai model in Bahrain. "However, the Bahraini delegation studied areas like quality control, taxi meters and the use of modern technology like the GPS," he added.

"Our General Directorate of Traffic may make use of the advanced experience of the RTA in economic, commercial, service, financial, tourist and real estate sectors."

Al Absi said Dubai had made giant strides in development by applying modern technologies in various fields such as the transport sector.

"EDB is working as a catalyst to bring our traffic department and that of Dubai closer for mutual benefits," he added.

"This was just a fact-finding mission, and our traffic team now contact the Dubai authorities directly in a bid to further develop our taxi services." The meeting was attended from the RTA by Public Transport Agency chief executive Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla and Dubai Taxi Agency acting CEO Ammar bin Tamim. - TradeArabia News Service