Private, illegal taxis – and not Al Million’s new cabs – remain the true competition to Mowasalat’s green Karwas, the Peninsula has asserted.

Residents have long complained that the state transportation company’s 2000+ fleet has not been able to keep pace with Qatar’s growing population.

That might change once the three private companies contracted by Mowasalat launch their fleets of 500 taxis each.

But in the meantime, the Peninsula reports:  

The high number of illegal cabs is a clear pointer to the inadequacy of the taxi service in the country.

“According to our estimates there are more than 2,000 illegal taxis in the country. It is necessary to curtail them if the authorities want to provide a quality taxi service,” a senior official of Al Million told this newspaper.

The illegal taxis have been cashing in on the shortage of Karwa taxis, their relatively high fares and the poor performance of some Karwa drivers. 

Mowasalat, meanwhile, said it is aware of the growing discontent and working to address it. 

“We are looking for a comprehensive solution through a technological overhaul. Piecemeal solutions will not help. You will see this happening by next year,” a representative told the Peninsula.

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by Omar Chatriwala