Karwa taxi to be privatised
The Karwa taxi service will be fully privatised by 2017, with six private companies expected to run the service.
Mowasalat, the state transport company, will remain the regulator for private taxi operators.
Karwa has awarded contracts to four private taxi companies and two of them are already operating their services.
Plans are afoot to increase the number of private taxi operators to six, with Mowasalat operating no taxis and just functioning as the regulator.
The contracts awarded to private taxi operators would be for a period of five years and would be renewable.
These details were disclosed to the Advisory Council by the transport minister, H E Jassim Seif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, yesterday.
A discussion took place in the Advisory Council on the report of its financial and economic services committee on proposed amendments to a law (No. 37 of 2004).
A proposed amendment talks of the state providing financial support to Mowasalat for losses it has suffered on account of running public transport services (buses).
The proposed amendment was referred to the financial and economic panel of the Advisory Council on February 3 this year for review and its opinion.
The state provides financial support to Mowasalat but not under a law. Once the funding process becomes part of a law, Mowasalat would be able to seek listing on the Qatari stock exchange, the Advisory Council was told.
As per the proposed amendment, on which the Advisory Council held discussions, the extent of the state’s financial support to be provided to Mowasalat and the payment schedule is to be decided by the Minister of Finance.
In 2002, Mowasalat took a contract from the government to run public transport services (buses) across the country.
The company is provided financial backing by the state because bus tickets are subsidised. This annual subsidy payment is to be regularised by a law.
Mowasalat plans to continue operating public transport services until the year 2022, Al Sharq reported.
The company has four key departments and they include, apart from public transport, a support services department, a strategic services department and a technical support department.
Republished from The Peninsula
This was long due. The Govt. is the second name of helping private sectors run the show in every walk of life. The Govt. should act as a regulator and not the operator of transportation system. Therefore the decision to privatize the Karwa is right.
I remember the days of the orange and white taxis. Never once did they try to rob me. Their cars were always clean. Their drivers always polite. And I never had to wait more than 5 minutes to find one. It's a shame that the system changed and now getting a taxi is so stressful.
gimky is right...those who are commenting are probably new to qatar
rippy had a straight face in his pic..u have an upside down face in the pic
@ gimky hey am a karwa driver n i beg to differ with u. Take note tht not all drivers are cruel .kindly let not 1 or 2 incidents soil tha name of ths drivers
I remember the good old days when Yellow cabs are running the Taxi charges are less and no need to wait for morethan 5 Minutes and friendly drviers , even if u had no bucks they used to drop but Karwa drivers are humiliating. I propose govt need to provide licence to anyone who have good sedan /SUV.