Taxi woes far from over, say residents of Doha outskirts

There are adequate number of taxis in Doha, but not in the neighbouring localities, say residents.

By Ramesh Mathew/Staff ReporterResidents living on the outskirts of Doha and neighbouring towns have been complaining about a shortage of taxis, particularly in the morning peak hours, despite a significant rise in the number of cabs on Qatar’s roads over the past two years.According to the country’s transport authorities, the two private taxi franchisees together have more than 1,000 cars, besides the 2,000-odd vehicles of Mowasalat. While there is little doubt that the three operators have been meeting the requirements of passengers in Doha, those living on the city’s outskirts and its immediate neighbourhood continue to face problems.“The availability of taxis in our neighbourhood is poor, unlike in Doha, and one has to wait endlessly for a cab to arrive,” said a resident of a new community development in the vicinity of Hamad Medical Corporation, Al Wakrah. Similar views were aired by some shop owners in the area. One of them said though a large number of residents have moved to localities in the vicinity of Doha, the availability of taxis remains a problem in such places.Mowasalat started a taxi hub at Barwa Village more than a year ago but, according to sources, it was doubtful if the place received adequate patronage. On a recent visit to the place, one could not find any vehicle there.However, an official from one of the two private franchisees said the response to taxis in the newly-developed residential and commercial areas of Al Wakrah, Al Wukair and neighbouring areas had been far from impressive. He also claimed that his company had deployed adequate number of taxis there. “There are additional vehicles, especially during the weekend,” he said.A senior official from another franchisee said, “While it may be true that there are fewer taxis in some places that lie in Doha’s vicinity, we have conducted extensive studies at most locations in the city and deployed vehicles based on the actual demand and requirements of people in every area.”The official said initially they used to receive complaints from passengers in the Religious Complex area in Mesaimeer. “We found an immediate solution to the problem after conducting a thorough study of the requirements there. We deployed adequate number of vehicles at hours when people required taxis the most,” he added.People travelling to the diplomatic zone in West Bay are also vocal about their taxi requirements. “While there is hardly any problem in getting taxis to reach the area, one needs to wait for long to find cabs there while returning,” said a resident.An executive at a call centre of one of the taxi companies said while more customers were using their services in the peak hours, fewer requests were routed through the centre later in the day.