Number of taxis in Qatar set to hit 4,500 by October
Five hundred more lemon yellow-roofed ‘Cars Taxi’ cars will hit Doha streets by October, the taxi operator announced on Thursday.
Cars Taxi started the roll-out yesterday with 25 taxis and the number is set to gradually increase to 500, in addition to the 500 already on the streets.
The announcement to double the Cars Taxi fleet will bring the total number of taxis in Qatar to 4,500 by the end of the third quarter.
“Since the launch of Cars Taxi in September, 2014, we’ve commissioned 500 taxis in record time and hope to commission another 500 in the next four to five months,” P Balasubramaniam, Group Director, Profit Group, told The Peninsula during the launch event at Sharq Village & Spa.
The company also plans to introduce environment-friendly hybrid taxis and special taxis for women, families and people with disabilities.
One of the region’s largest taxi franchise operators, Cars Taxi operates in the country in partnership with Qatar-based Profit Group.
“Since launching operations two years ago, Cars Taxi has established itself as a preferred choice of commuters throughout the country,” said Abdulla Sultan Al Sabbagh, Group CEO, Cars Taxi Group.
He said the company is giving 21-day intensive training to drivers and has equipped taxis with advanced mobile data terminals (MDTs), inclusive of meters, navigation systems, taxi tracking and dispatch systems and a speed monitoring system allowing a maximum speed limit of 100kmph within city limits.
Courtesy: thepeninsulaqatar.com
I had similar experience also. Taxi drivers runs as they wish. Sometimes they are not interested to make trip to the location we need to. They just move on without picking us. Couple of times i had fought with them for not using meter. At last they agreed to use it when i told them that i will inform their company. It really makes bad image to the country. I have been working in UAE for the past 7 years and was using Taxis and never experienced such problems. Concerned authorities has to take action to stop this.
Hopefully these new taxis will be equiped with automated meters to stop this practice..
The alternative is to "rent a friend" for taxi rides :0)
Just to comment on these taxi firms, early this year I spent some time staying in a hotel in Doha without my car, I made a couple of trips from this hotel to City Center with a friend of mine ( Indian friend ) and each time the meter was on and the fare was always between 11 and 12 QR, then one day I decided to go alone without my friend and used the same taxi firm, when starting out I notice the meter was not running and asked the driver why ? the reply I got was " my English is not good " when we arrived at City Center he asked me for 25 QR, I gave him 15 QR and told him my English wasn't that good either.
If this is a regular occurrence then the drivers are probably making more money than the taxi firm as they don't have any of the expenses of running the cars. If they put a stop to all this then may be we could all enjoy cheaper fares.
good points wt and brit...all about the top guys and shareholders...and brit its good practice to keep an eye on the newer camrys and altimas here too...in a different way to the saudi drifters/racers though...here its company cars/rental cars/new guy in town cars/limo cars...they're all an accident waiting to happen...
I hope they didn't pay consultants to think up these names
Cars Taxis :0)
Businessmen in Qatar have no shame in name-giving. But maybe they've chosen the name to win investors.
Camrys rule
In Saudi I always made a point of avoiding and giving way to people driving Camrys and Altimas :0)
Came here to comment on Camry taxis; ended up commenting on the profit group....sheesh...
Haha profit group; hardly the kind of name that builds goodwill...
That will be fine.