Sharjah24: Sharjah Taxi, part of the Sharjah Asset Management Company, the investment arm of the Government of Sharjah, inaugurated Thursday morning the Sharjah Taxi Control Centre, which will serve as a new addition to the Company's smart and innovative services. In addition to the multiple benefits it provides to customers, drivers and community as a whole, the Taxi Control Centre reflects the accelerating digital transformation in Sharjah, and supports its efforts to enhance the services provided to the public.

The Centre's opening ceremony was attended by His Excellency Waleed Al Sayegh, CEO of Sharjah Asset Management Company, His Excellency Abdul Aziz Al Jarwan, Director of Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) for Transportation Affairs, HE Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, CEO of Osool Transportation Solutions; and His Excellency Khalid Al-Kindi, Executive Director of Sharjah Taxi.

Other notable attendees included Ibtisam Al Obaidly, Director of the Transport Systems Department at the SRTA, Suliman ALZaben, President of Hyundai & Genesis UAE, and Basil Assaf, Executive Director of Information Systems and Artificial Intelligence at Max Smart Systems, in addition to officials of Sharjah Asset Management group companies, partners, Sharjah Tax team, and local media representatives.

In his speech to the attendees, Khalid Al-Kindi said: “The Sharjah Taxi Control Centre is a reflection of the promising future of our smart operational systems and the modern technologies-based services. In addition to enhancing the monitoring and operation of taxi transportation services, it also promotes the Sharjah government's efforts in the field of digital transformation. The new centre is launched in line with Sharjah Taxi plan, which aims to employ artificial intelligence in transportation for the convenience and safety of customers, and reduce complaints, accidents and quality violations. This in turn contributes enhancing drivers' operational performance, and cutting down expenses and increasing revenues.”

Outfitted with the cutting-edge technologies to monitor and operate taxi transportation services, the Control Centre is operated by eight employees per shift, handling the operations of nearly 750 taxis in Sharjah City and Sharjah International Airport, as well as the Eastern Province. The Centre also monitors drivers' wrong practices, directs them to sound conduct, and ensures their commitment and adherence to the regulations.

“Pursuant to the directives of the senior leadership of the Sharjah Asset Management Company, the Centre is equipped with the latest systems that ensure Sharjah is keeping pace with the future of transportation, including a camera system to monitor vehicles, a driver fatigue tracking system that monitors the level of concentration, stress and other vital indicators, in order to ensure the provision of quality service 24/7," Al-Kindi added. 

The Control Centre contributes to raising operational efficiency by following up on the availability of vehicles in vital locations and event venues as well as at Sharjah Airport, and directing drivers to the locations with high demand. With strict monitoring of drivers' conduct and customer service inquiries, the Centre helps reduce accidents, quality complaints and traffic violations. It also contributes to reducing expenses, particularly fuel consumption costs. 

With a fleet of about 750 vehicles of various types, Sharjah Taxi was able to transport nearly 5.87 million passengers last year, with an average of 16,000 passengers per day, through vehicles well-equipped with Internal Vehicle Devices (IVD) to communicate with the Booking and Distribution Centre, which serves as a link between the customer and the vehicle, where requests are received and sent via IVD devices to the nearest vehicle nearby to reach the passenger within a few minutes.