Competition is good - Gulf News: "Private taxis operating between Abu Dhabi and Dubai have reduced their fares from Dh25 to Dh15 per person following the introduction of Emirates Express. The joint public transport venture by Dubai and Abu Dhabi Municipalities was launched on March 15 to provide luxurious but cheap public transport. The one-way fare between Abu Dhabi and Dubai is Dh15, the cheapest of all other modes of transport including sharing taxis. According to taxi drivers, they were forced to reduce fares to stay competitive with the bus service."

Those not living in the UAE may not understand why there is so much demand for intercity public transportation. Mostly the answer is that 80% of us are non-nationals and many of those have income so low they choose not to own a car.

And who are the taxi drivers? Expatriates [thanks to Acad for correction], most of whom pay an annual fee to their employer-sponsor, pay to run their taxi and keep all the revenue above these costs.

Taxi service is an interesting education in languages. Most drivers speak Urdu. When the passenger does not speak Urdu the communication, such as it is, between driver and passenger is in English (even if neither speaks English well). English is the common denominator. A friend once arranged for a taxi to come and drive him to the airport 3 hours ahead of time. The driver, "communicating" on his mobile phone with my friend for an hour never did find his apartment. Communication breakdown. And that was after numbers where put on the apartment buildings.

I recently called a cab. After he was on campus I phoned him on his mobile. Where are you I asked. "I am in parking." Yes, I said, but there are 16 parking lots; which one? "I am in parking, I see a building." Doloop 5X. I finally set out on foot to find him.