Getting around in Doha
By orangeprotea •
Hi all - am I right in thinking that most people have cars to get to and from work etc. and that buses and taxis are to be avoided and not that reliable?? And what would be the cost of a modest secondhand runabout and running costs per month? Any advice much appreciated.
I guess that depends on how active you are moving around by the car :). The American cars needs to get filled every time you go around. My friend was filling the car with gas before he goes out with 20 Riyals and by the end of the day it is gone! The fill of the car for a Toyota Corolla costs me 34 Q.R and it lasts only for 4 days.This is for daily life so how about if you want to go to sealine or any other place once a week? You will fill the car and come back with a little in your car. You might be talking about the guys in City center who wash the cars for 8 or 10 Riyals but i was talking about the shops that clean the cars, they charge 20 minimum for cleaning the car.
It depends on how much do you use the car or what car do you have in the end. I was just calculating it with a little more expenses.
Best Regards for All
I don't pay more than QAR 150/- per month on petrol for my car... yeh it's not a 4WD, but I'm guessing not more than QAR300/- for petrol/ month... any car... and yeh, I'm clocking approx 1000KMS/ month, if not more.
Second hand cars are available everywhere... and they have excellent workshops that do the computerized car check for like QAR100. And as mentioned in the previous post, car loans - easily available.
Busses - very unreliable
Taxis - Huh? where?
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250 QL points and moving up!!!
Ray gonna get the bolt, from Ol' King Colt
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I think you are overestimating the cost of petrol. I have a big American car and it only costs me about 50 riyals to fill up. Servicing is cheap because of cheap labour, but American parts are expensive. I pay 50 riyals a month to have my car cleaned 1-2 times a week (depending on how dirty it is).
Cars vary hugely in price. In general, though, depreciation is low due to the huge demand for second hand cars. Be careful buying a second hand 4 wheel drive, as they can be treated very roughly. If you are not fussy about size, age and make, you could probably pick up a second hand car in reasonable condition for 15,000. There are very good garages that exist purely to check used cars for potential buyers.
I'm no expert on buses and taxis, but my car-less friends inform me that the situation has improved considerably since the end of the Asian Games. They rarely have to wait for more than a few minutes, although from what King Edshel said this might depend on what area you are in. I know that they are a nightmare in the Industrial area. If you're going to be working in this potholed nightmare, you might be better off in a four wheel drive - especially when it rains and floods, as it did this year.
Car finance is easily available, and certainly beats car hire.
I've got a lot more information on my posts on driving on my blog, especially on this page: http://qatarvisitor.blogspot.com/2006/10/driving-in-qatar-practical-information_30.html
Good luck!
Qatar Visitor
I would like to say just one thing, having no car got advantages [save you the horror on the streets], but having a car got a lot more advantages. If you don't have a car her, you can't do anything. You can't go to work in time. You can't hang out with someone. You can't go anywhere easily. Taxis and Buses are really a big trouble. I was waiting everyday from 40 to 80 minutes in my area [If I'm lucky] waiting for the bus. During all of this time of waiting I never saw even a taxi with someone inside [I saw 2 before but i was lucky again that day]. The bus timings are not good or reliable at all. My work starts at 9:00 and to be there [mostly] in time I was leaving my home at 6:10 or 6:20. The bus back then was having no specific time and seems to be that the drivers were having breakfast on their way somewhere.
Well, regarding the secondhand car that depends on which car do you want. According to which car do you want, you will come to know how much would you paying for the gas per month. If you are going for the Japanese cars, I don't think that you would be paying more than 500 Q.R for the gas every month. Maintanace and Service of the car should cost nothing more than 1000 - 2000 Q.R every year. Changing the engine oil every 5000 KM will cost you every time < 100 Q.R. Washing the car once a week will cost you 20 Q.R.
Best Regards