DUBAI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Dubai's transport authority has purchased 554 fuel-electric hybrid taxi cars in a bid to reduce vehicle exhausts, the Dubai Information Office said on Saturday.
The information office said that the purchase, made by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of the Gulf Arab emirate of Dubai, accounted for 11 percent of the total number of taxis of the Dubai Taxi Corporation.
The RTA aims to increase the percentage of environmentally friendly cars to 17 percent out of the overall vehicles by the end of this year, while the number of green cars is currently estimated at 503.
"This initiative is to rationalize the use of energy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and to create a safe, clean, attractive and sustainable environment that elevates the reputation and prestige of Dubai," said the office.
"The initiative also comes within the framework of the RTA's commitment to the comprehensive plan to reduce carbon emissions in the taxi sector by two per cent in accordance with the requirements of the Supreme Energy Council of Dubai and the transition to a green economy," it added.
