Bus fare goes up
Doha • The state-owned Mowasalat has announced a hike of QR1 to QR2 in bus fares inside the city and to various other destinations. The rise will come into force on April 1.
The rise amounts to around 50 percent. However, to reduce the impact of the hike, the company has introduced a new ‘return fare’ to all destinations, offering a discount of QR1 to QR2 on the total fare. The ‘return ticket’ purchased from the point of origin can be used in any Karwa bus returning from the particular destination on the same day, Mowasalat's Business Development Director Ahmed Al Ansari told The Peninsula yesterday. This facility will be available from April 1.
The minimum bus fare has now been raised to QR3 from QR2. The fare inside Doha city becomes QR3 instead of QR2. The same fare applies to destinations on the city's outskirts- Madinat Khalifa, Industrial Area, Abu Hamour, Gharafat Al Rayyan and Qatar University. A return fare of QR5 has been offered in all these routes giving a discount of QR1. Fares to Al Rayyan, Al Khuraitiyat, Al Wakrah, Umm Salal and Al Gharafa and Umm Qarn have been raised from QR3 to QR4. The return fare in these routes has been fixed at QR7 offering a discount of QR1.
The fares for various distant routes have been hiked by QR2. The new and old fares are: Al Shamal QR9 (QR7) Dukhan QR7 (QR5), Al Ghuwairiya QR9 (QR7), Al Jemailiyah QR7 (QR5), Mesaieed QR6 (QR4), Al Khor QR7 (QR5). A return fare is available in all these routes with a discount of QR2.
In a statement issued yesterday, Ansari said the fare hike was prompted by an increase in the operational costs. “We are forced to take this step to cover the increasing operational costs, while at the same time maintaining the high standards of our public bus service," he said. He added that the company has been offering a highly subsidised fare on its buses and the fare, even after the increase, covers only a small portion of the actual cost. This, he said, is to help the low-income segments who form the majority of the bus passengers in Qatar.
Ansari told The Peninsula that prices of the Karwa FareSaver cards would also go up very soon, proportionate to the increase in the regular fares. The FareSaver cards issued for one month offers unlimited trips to the holder at discounted rates.
Source ::: The Peninsula and Gulf Times
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I tried the bus. It was very nice from the inside.
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with the crazy traffic nowadays, they really should encourage more people to use public transportation not the other way around.
Now bus fares also increased whats the use in staying here now..............
i did try boarding a bus....just for the sake of experiencing it...but we had to schedule that there'll be less passengers.. :) i remember paying QR2 for the fare...
[img_assist|nid=12867|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
never been in one of those busses.... and no plans to be in...
Does any QL member been in a bus before?
Oh my God!!! can you imagine the enviromental conditions inside?.... picture the sensations of a taxi ride for 3 seconds ... now get ready to board the bus and don't forget your GAS MASK....
At your own risk!