(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Some 300 new taxis from another private company, Ibin Ajayan, will soon hit Qatar roads.
Ibin Ajayan has become the third private operator following an agreement with Mowasalat, to run 500 taxis on a franchise basis. Al Ijarah and Al Million are the other private firms operating taxis, with a fleet of 1,000 and 800. They add to the nearly 1,200 Karwa taxis run by Mowasalat.
By the end of next year, there will be five private firms operating taxis, taking the number of Karwa taxis to about 4,000.
Qatar will have 7,000 taxis on the roads when it hosts the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Mowasalat said yesterday.
It earlier announced deals with Ibin Ajayan and another private company, Profit Group, to run taxis. Ibin Ajayan provides services in the transportation sector and the Profit Group has interests in Qatar and other GCC countries.
Ibin Ajayan said its first fleet of 300 taxis would be on the roads in August and will add 200 by the year-end.
Mowasalat is expanding public transport services, based on a recent survey of the needs of the Qatari market in terms of the required number of vehicles, their distribution, and busy locations. It keeps importing cars in a phased manner, to maintain a ready flow as demand increases, Mowasalat's CEO, Khalid Al Hail, said yesterday
"All franchise deals are subject to regulations followed by Mowasalat, which include the good external appearance of the vehicles, comfortable interior, and latest technology.
"They must also meet the required safety standards and provide well-trained drivers," said Mowasalat's Executive Director Support Service, Nasser Al Khanji. Mowasalat also plans to connect Karwa taxis and operation units to a unified call centre to provide advanced booking services to customers through an electronic system to ensure easy and faster access to taxis.
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