“Qatar Taxi” offers free rides to coincide with siege anniversary

Qatar Taxi will be offering free rides until midnight today to coincide with the first anniversary of blockade against Qatar, the company announced on Monday.

Qatar Taxi is the first Qatari application of its kind for booking cars at an affordable price. "To mark the occasion Qatar Taxi will pay tributes to the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and the country's residents for showing resilience and resolve to withstand this unjust blockade," it was explained in a statement.

"The siege has not only made the country strong but the government’s response to the crisis and Qatar’s world-class financial and economic credentials, have only enabled business activity to remain as robust as ever," Qatar Taxi said.

Qatar Taxi business development manager Mubarak Salem said “the free ride on June 5 is a small step gesture to thank all the residents of Qatar for showing their solidarity and solid resolve to overcome the ongoing crisis. The strength, loyalty and patriotism demonstrated in response to the tumult situation of the past months, has been inspiring for all of us. Today we are united by our pride in Qatar and its leadership and the fellowship we share is a testament to the values upon which Qatar was founded.”

Salem added “We look forward to a bright and prosperous future under the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and as always, we are renewing our vow to continue our march of giving and exerting our efforts to serve our beloved homeland and embark on the path of development in all fields. At the same time, we strengthen our resolve to contribute towards the development of the private sector in Qatar”

Qatar Taxi said two months after the launch of its app, more than 6,000 users have downloaded it and around 1,000 drivers (cars) have registered to work for it. It also clocks in a weekly growth rate of around 25%.

The startup currently focuses on catering to customers in and the surrounding areas of Doha, Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah with a future plan to cover the entire country.