Double-decker bus service before January
Published: Monday, 18 August, 2008, 12:59 AM Doha Time
By Bonnie James
Mowasalat chairman Jassim Saif al-Sulaiti (centre) making a point at the press conference yesterday
MOWASALAT is to launch its first double-decker bus service in Qatar before January as part of its plans to expand the public transport network.
“The plan is to have five to 10 Karwa brand double-deckers on routes with high demand,” Mowasalat chairman and managing director Jassim Saif al-Sulaiti said yesterday.
The buses will be made to specifications provided by Mowasalat.
The public transport company also intends to recruit and train up to 1,000 new drivers by the end of this year. Two hundred drivers are already undergoing training.
The drivers are being trained in languages such as English, Arabic, Urdu, and Tagalog to help them interact more effectively with customers.
“Mowasalat’s 185-bus strong public transport fleet, which plies on 37 routes, is set to be expanded by 27%, a record increase,” al-Sulaiti said.
The company is in the process of replacing 400 cars from its taxi fleet with new ones and adding another 300 between September and January.
It now runs some 2,200 taxis besides a limousine service. The first batch of its taxis hit the roads in September 2004 and many of those cars are still in service.
“Another new development is the commissioning of a gas fuel station at Mowasalat’s Abu Hamour premises after Ramadan to provide vehicles with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG),” al-Sulaiti said.
To begin with, 50 cars running on LPG, are to hit the streets with the opening of the gas fuel station, a step against environmental pollution.
The chairman and managing director pointed out that 50 specially manufactured air-conditioned Karwa buses had been introduced for companies to transport labourers to and from their work site.
“These state-of-the-art buses, with all safety and luxury features, are totally different from those hitherto used to transport labourers,” he asserted.
Referring to the building of bus shelters inside and outside Doha, al-Sulaiti observed that 100 had already been erected and 200 more were on the way.
Mowasalat has signed contracts with organizations, including Q-media Decaux, for the bus shelters and for promoting advertisements on buses and taxis.
The bus shelters, which have an “international” design, are built with heat resistant glass and stainless steel.
As part of the company’s expansion plans, it is proposed to establish fully-equipped “operation” rooms at Wakrah, Al Khor, and Shamal in addition to the present facility in Doha, so as to provide better service to customers in the respective areas.
“Mowasalat is collaborating, for the second consecutive year, with UK City and Guilds, which offers specialised programme in defensive driving,” al-Sulaiti said.
The company expects to receive the new Karwa three-dimensions driving simulator, which updates the presently used equipment.
“The new machine gives trainees a feeling identical to that of actually being on the road as they have to ‘monitor traffic’ from right and left also in addition to looking ahead,” al-Sulaiti said.
Mowasalat business development director Ahmed al-Ansari, Mass Transit director Nasser al-Khanji, Taxi & Limousine Business Unit director Brett Subritzky and Karwa executive director Ahmed al-Mansouri were present with al-Sulaiti.
Source: Gulf Times
The more the merrier. We could do a tour of Doha bus routes.
I can take the bus and join you if you want ..
It's a date!
I am working all day on Thursday, I will make sure the coffee machine is ready!
I learnt my lesson in Saudi.. Waited for the bus to arrive. Lined up properly. As soon as the bus arrived, people around me climbed through any 'opening" they could find and I was still standing there.. (with my brolly)
lol jj. Buses, weather, and irresponsible pet oweners!
I need to pop into your work sometime soon, so if you let me know which days you work I'll try and come on one of them and bring some new topics of conversation for you.
tallg, I am a sad bus spotter. I am always glad of an opportunity to talk about them. The other day I was in Doha with my husband and I exclaimed "Oh look, a 137, you don't often see those" He just looked at me as if I was mad. Buses and weather are my main topics of conversation, I really need to get out of here!
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
So what do we think the odds are of them meeting the January 2009 date they set in this original article?
Anyway, why has this thread been resurrected? Was it just so we could all be reminded of how immature and pathetic Charanmafidiot used to be ;p
Get yourself to ride on such buses one day and see how workers 'panic' and push us hurtfully to get their seats taken as fast as possible...
Remember that 90% of bus passengers everyday are always the non-controllable workers...
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
you're right edifis. ;-)
i think its time for karwa to make some innovations.
lol! as if there is a triple decker! ;o)
cheers,
paul
Double decker is common, I think they should introduce triple decker bus to stand out.
Sit on the top deck.. See the traffic jams for miles...Could spend the whole day having fun..
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
Good, as a regular bus user I know all of the old busses well. If you travel in Doha the inside of the bus trim is yellow, this means that the bus is relatively new and safe. Travelling from Dukhan, the buses are green inside, filthy, old and falling apart. The oldest one stinks and makes your clothes smell and is so slow it barely moves. Of course, because the speedo is always diconnected you can't tell how fast you are going. These old buses are always breaking down and the ac never works. Hopefully the DD buses will free up some yellow buses to collect me from Dukhan.
I always thought I was quite cool but the reality is I have ended up being a 35 year old bus spotter. How did it happen???
Mowasalat website including bus routes
http://eng.mowasalat.com/site/topics/index.asp?cu_no=1&temp_type=44
lol hmmm... I tried ignoring but he doesnt seem to learn his lesson, like a dog's tail. Hence I just say what I have to say and leave him barking :P.
Harsha, I'm doing great, how r u???
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Who the hell needs pot when u got Cookie dough :D
hey dxonic.. how u doin..
thexonic, just learn to ignore him.
I did not know these two knew each other in person wow!!!
But I cant help thinking Charan would be more at home not at a 'social' but at an 'anti social gathering' hehe
But you are right, it is childs play. It seems some of the guys need to take some example from the ladies here.
they should just extend the gondola ride from villagio to the city centre.
it never ceases to amaze me the number of people watching the gondola travel 20 meters up and back in the villagio.
making tirades against each other here in the forum and then ignoring each other during socials are kinda redundancy....
believe me, it's not funny reading them...
They do need a experienced drivers, where will they come from? Certainly not London LOL.
I hope somebody has done their homework regarding height restrictions around Doha ........... they certainly did not with the trucks that keep hitting over head signs!!!! It is a different story with 50 people sitting up there!!!!
"At last they are thinking of people who are weighing more than 100 lbs. probarbly more wider seats :)They should fix plug in points for micro lap tops and a seperate enclosed area for Sheisha smokers ;)"
An informative post that can be discussed, spoilt by this 'troll'. Had Charan ........ not been a regular, I am sure he would have been labeled a 'troll' and banned for such an obvious personnel attack.
What is it with this guy.
Thexonic, I did not want to call Charan ....... a retard because I actually thought he was, and it would have been insensitive. However, unfortunately, it appears QL are providing a service for this guy to air his moronic vulagarity in public ......... I have witnessed it time and time again.
Wow, more karwa drivers???
Seriously??
LOL
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╬ Jai Guru Deva ╬
"At last they are thinking of people who are weighing more than 100 lbs. probarbly more wider seats :)They should fix plug in points for micro lap tops and a seperate enclosed area for Sheisha smokers ;)"
True charan, they should. They should also provide services for paralyzed or mentally retarded people, hopefully they will have nurses too so people your age can actually travel, perhaps karwas are actually meant for your kind of people aern't they?
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Who the hell needs pot when u got Cookie dough :D
airconditioned threewheelers :)
The existing Karwa Buses itself doesnt have people to travel.. lol
Rather they shoud plan small sizes,, 18 and 20 seater more frequent services..
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It Takes 72 Muscles to Frown...And Only 14 To Smile.
: ) Keep Smiling : )
At last they are thinking of people who are weighing more than 100 lbs. probarbly more wider seats :)They should fix plug in points for micro lap tops and a seperate enclosed area for Sheisha smokers ;)
Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
I dont think they can ride those on the street behind lulu.
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Who the hell needs pot when u got Cookie dough :D
i always thought they had excess vehicles.. check out their office parking newar industrial area.. d place is filled wid cars n buses.. and they need more?
And before they even think of improving their vehicles, they should get DISCIPLINED/WELL-EDUCATED DRIVERS first. I have been victimized of such SOB Mowasalat bus drivers so many times! The head of the bus division already knows me personally with a couple of major (and I mean, major) complains leading to personal actions (which I could file a legal suit against/to). This reminds me of starting a thread for Karwa taxis and Mowasalat buses complains. Hmp!!!
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I doubt the safety on the road (thinking the manner how they drive).