Dubai Airport has just begun free airside “taxis” to help passengers get around. Strictly speaking, they don't look like your conventional taxi. Rather, they channel the golf buggy look. And they are only in Emirates dedicated Concourse B in Terminal 3. But it should be a handy service for people needing to get to any of the twenty-six gates in the mammoth terminal in a hurry and Dubai Airport plans to extend the service to other concourses soon.

A report inArabian Businesssays the taxis have been launched to help overcome issues passengers faced when having to get around Concourse B in a hurry. There are 15 eight-seater buggies which have fixed pick up and set down points around the arrivals and departures level. Alternatively, you can just hail one when it passes by.

Not glamorous but they'll do the job

They are not the most glamorous vehicles. There's no roof (none needed inside I suppose) and not a huge amount of luggage space, but they'll do the job for most people in a hurry.

Passengers wrangling young children, the elderly and the infirm will get VIP access but the service is available to anybody.

In a statement, Dubai Airports said;

“The introduction of taxiDXB is in direct response to the needs of our customers. The design of DXB’s concourses is very linear, which some customers told us they found hard to manage when they have to reach a gate at the opposite end but lends itself perfectly to a closed-loop buggy service.”

Terminal 3 can be a challenge

A characteristic of Dubai’s Terminal 3 is that there is often a lot of walking involved in order to get anywhere. There is over 500,000 square meters of floor space - the equivalent of 94 football fields. Airside there are 26 gates and 14 remote stands (with another five boarding gates for these remote stands). It is a big building. Getting around the terminal can be particularly challenging for those passengers unfamiliar with it, on tight connections, or not totally airport savvy.

The airside taxis have been launched with the aim of making using Concourse B just that little bit easier.

Particularly handy  for the  aged and infirm

Advocates of the aged and infirm will particularly welcome the service. Airports have long been criticised for not accommodating their needs when being designed. Those with mobility issues will certainly benefit. While most modern buildings such as Terminal 3 at Dubai have disability access plans, the best will in the world cannot overcome the sheer size of the building and the obstacles that can present to some people.

Along with facilities such as easy access bathrooms, ample lifts, and wide uncluttered floorspaces, the provision of airside taxi services such as now at Concourse B is a simple, practical, and cost-effective way to make the airport more user-friendly to a wider range of people.