State transport authority Mowasalat says Qatar’s first private taxi company is expected to be up and running “in less than a year.”

A month ago, Mowasalat called for bids from private companies to start a local taxi service, and says it received 20 applications.

Although the selection process is yet to be completed, Mowasalat Executive Director Ahmad Bu Sharbak Al Mansuri says the company is being given one year to roll-out a fleet of 500 vehicles, adding that “we expect to have the first private taxi company in Qatar probably in less than a year.”

The new taxi service will apparently still be branded with the Karwa name, but vehicles would have altered color schemes, and would be held to the same standards.

Meanwhile, Mowasalat says it will have 500 new taxis on the road by year’s end, bringing the total up to 2,500.

Credit: Photo by Mohammed Al Failakawi