yep, they're going to require smartcards now. i take the bus to work everyday since my flat's location has a bus stop just across the street, and the bus route also has a bus stop at my office building so it's pretty convenient. fare charges are supposed to be determined by gps tracking depending on the distance you travel but the fares charged on my card are always different everytime. it's anywhere between 2 riyals and 3 riyals per trip even if i get on and off at the same bus stops everyday. the current manual ticket system has a flat fare of 3 riyals so i get to save a few dirhams everyday with the smartcard. if the machine is broken you get to ride for free. apart from having the right to get those men seated on the front seats to move elsewhere so i can have a seat because ladies are prioritized.
now the bus drivers won't ask to keep my ticket when i get off and re-use them for other passengers so they can keep my 3 riyals. but it would be unfair for tourists (if any), those who are new to qatar and those who ride occasionally. i only discovered the convenience and relative safety of bus rides on my second month here when my colleague and i once had difficulty hailing a cab then walked along bank street trying to find one until we reached the bus station. we just asked the bus drivers which one goes to our area and found out that there is a bus stop right next to our place. i save around 500 riyals worth of cab fares every month when i take the bus.
if they want to control cheaters they can simply put a locked box beside the driver's seat where people without cards can put their fares into and the driver can't touch it like the ones they have in other places. they wont get change though and have to pay the exact fare.
yep, they're going to require smartcards now. i take the bus to work everyday since my flat's location has a bus stop just across the street, and the bus route also has a bus stop at my office building so it's pretty convenient. fare charges are supposed to be determined by gps tracking depending on the distance you travel but the fares charged on my card are always different everytime. it's anywhere between 2 riyals and 3 riyals per trip even if i get on and off at the same bus stops everyday. the current manual ticket system has a flat fare of 3 riyals so i get to save a few dirhams everyday with the smartcard. if the machine is broken you get to ride for free. apart from having the right to get those men seated on the front seats to move elsewhere so i can have a seat because ladies are prioritized.
now the bus drivers won't ask to keep my ticket when i get off and re-use them for other passengers so they can keep my 3 riyals. but it would be unfair for tourists (if any), those who are new to qatar and those who ride occasionally. i only discovered the convenience and relative safety of bus rides on my second month here when my colleague and i once had difficulty hailing a cab then walked along bank street trying to find one until we reached the bus station. we just asked the bus drivers which one goes to our area and found out that there is a bus stop right next to our place. i save around 500 riyals worth of cab fares every month when i take the bus.
if they want to control cheaters they can simply put a locked box beside the driver's seat where people without cards can put their fares into and the driver can't touch it like the ones they have in other places. they wont get change though and have to pay the exact fare.