(Credit - RTA)
244 Cars Towed After Drivers Fled Illegal Transport Seizure Sites
Across Dubai’s high-activity corridors, airport curbs, and transit stations, enforcement teams are tightening the squeeze on illegal rides. The crackdown led to 244 vehicles being impounded during the first half of 2026 after their drivers fled seizure sites.
Fewer Illegal Taxis and Higher Compliance Across Commute Routes
Joint field campaigns conducted alongside the General Directorate of Airport Security, the General Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Investigations, and GDRFA Dubai caught 340 violations for transporting passengers in unlicensed vehicles and touting illegal services. That marks a 57% drop from the 797 violations recorded in the same period of 2025. The 244 vehicle impoundments following driver fleeing attempts also represent a 48% decrease year-on-year.
RTA teams expanded total field activity to more than 1.6 million inspections across public buses, school routes, tourist charters, and commercial transport in the first half of the year, up from 1.5 million inspections during H1 2025. Despite the higher volume of checks, overall violations dropped 21% from 38,000 to 30,000. Saeed Al Balushi, Director of the Passenger Transport Activities Control Department at the Public Transport Corporation, confirmed that the joint operations focused heavily on key locations to lift discipline and curb unlicensed operators.
For daily commuters, inspectors conducted over 1.2 million checks across public bus users, facilities, and drivers, catching more than 28,000 offenses while maintaining a 97.8% compliance rate. On school transport routes, over 8,000 inspections carried out over the past two years yielded 654 violations in the first half of 2026, a 15% drop compared to last year, bringing school bus compliance to roughly 92%. Meanwhile, oversight of tourist buses, leased vehicles, and international transport involved more than 12,000 inspections, resulting in 602 violations and a 95% compliance rate.
Field inspectors are continuing to deploy targeted operations using field data to monitor passenger transport sectors and maintain order across the emirate’s roads.
