Taxis for family and women may come soon

The Doha-based Profit Group, which launched its new yellow-roofed taxis yesterday, is planning to introduce special taxis for women and families - a first in the country.

This is a new concept in Qatar, which has already been introduced in Dubai and some western countries, P Balasubramaniam, Group Director of Profit Holding Group, told The Peninsula yesterday.

“The idea behind this taxi is to protect the privacy of women passengers who don’t want direct exposure to a male driver,” he explained.

There will be a screen separating the passenger from the driver. Women will not see the driver, but they can move the screen, if they wish so because it will be under the passenger’s control. 

The women passenger is also not required to speak to the driver directly. Instead they can communicate through a mike installed in the back seat.

At the end of the trip, the passenger can deposit the money in a tray in front of their seat, which will be transferred to the driver. 

The driver can return the balance amount, if any, and issue the ticket using the same system.

The family taxis will also follow a similar system, he said.

“We have a plan to introduce these taxis in Qatar in the near future, provided we get approval from Mowasalat,” said Balasubramaniam.

The company, which has tied up with the UAE-based Cars Taxi Group to launch the new taxis, also plans to introduce “hybrid” taxis that operate both on traditional and environment-friendly, alternative fuel.

The company also plans to operate taxis at Hamad International Airport with approval from Mowasalat, as also taxis catering to people with special needs.

The Peninsula