Mowasalat invites tender for a fifth taxi franchisee in Qatar

If you don’t have a car in Qatar, and want to urgently go somewhere, then finding a Karwa taxi could be your biggest nightmare.

It is hardly surprising because around two years ago, state taxi company Mowasalat had announced that Qatar would need at least 7,000 taxis by the turn of this decade.

However, recent stats show that the four franchisees — Al Million, Al Ijarah, Capital Taxis and Yellow Taxis — together operate 2,500 to 2,750 taxis while Karwa runs more than 1,500 cabs in Qatar.

It is in this context that the recent news item, in Gulf Times, about Qatar getting a fifth taxi operator soon, gains significance.

The newspaper reported that Mowasalat has invited bids for another franchisee from interested parties under the Karwa Franchise Programme.

Karwa started operating in the Qatar market in September, 2004, and run four other franchisees at present. Al Million (maroon roof), Al Ijarah (blue roof), Capital Taxis (grey roof) and Yellow Taxis (previously Car Cab) have somewhat helped ease the demand pressure.

Mowasalat are inviting new operators, Qatari-owned companies with the financial and administrative ability to operate a fleet of up to 500 taxis.

None of the current franchisees are allowed to make a bid and the last date for submission is June 5.

Some people feel that even a fifth operator will not be enough to service Qatar’s growing market. Karwa Taxis, when it launched, had a market of 650,000 people while latest stats show Qatar’s population at a massive 2.67m.

And looking back at history, there is a very real chance that a fifth taxi operator may not begin functioning anytime soon. In this news item dated March 21, 2016, Mowasalat had floated tenders for a fifth taxi franchise. But more than a year later, things have not moved much beyond that phase.

Will we get another taxi franchisee soon? Keep your fingers crossed.