Story and photos by Ramy Khalaf

Three hundred new maroon-roofed taxis are set to hit Doha roads starting today, Al Million Taxis has announced.

The company, one of three that have tied up with Mowasalat to operate taxis in Qatar, will roll the cars out gradually as part of the first phase of a five-year contract.

Al Million aims to complete deployment of all 500 taxis some time before December, officials told reporters at a press conference today.

Al Million is required by Mowasalat to charge the same rate as regular Karwas, but said it will distinguish itself with an “enhanced consumer experience.”

That includes in-vehicle equipment like GPS, so that drivers won’t get lost. They also won’t be able to overcharge customers, because fares will be determined by the system and customers will be able to pay directly to Al Million through the use of credit cards.

The company is also collaborating with Vodafone in order to provide an SMS service to notify consumers of updates relating to taxi bookings.

The new taxis will be available for hire through the toll‐free number, in designated areas such as malls, and can be hailed on the road.

They will not be allowed to initiate trips from the airport but can drop customers off.

Al Million will be joined by two other private companies, Al Ijara Leasing and Petro Qatar, in 2013.

Mowasalat will oversee complaints regarding Al Million in order to further enhance the quality of service.

To book them, call 800‐5500. See their website here.

If you happen to give them a try, let us know what you think!