Taxi drivers complain of fewer customers
DOHA: While many residents complain about a shortage of taxis in the city, some drivers of Karwa taxis say they are not getting enough passengers now.
The Department of Traffic and Patrols has launched a crackdown against illegal cabs, but this does not seem to have caused an increase in the number of people using the Karwa taxis, operated by Mowasalat.
“We have seen a sudden drop in the number of passengers. Normally, after winter, we should have more customers. We have to pay a fixed amount to the company every day whether we earn that much or not. There days we don’t make any profits, even if we work hard,” lamented a driver.
He said the traffic jams in the city had made their job even more difficult. “Earlier, I used to earn at least QR2,000 a month after paying the company’s share from the daily income. If the current situation continues, we are sure to lose,” he added.
Some drivers were quick to attribute the fall in the number of passengers to the global economic downturn. “Earlier, we had a number of passengers going for outings and for late night parties. Such customers are very few these days,” said a driver.
He agreed that high taxi fares could be a factor that prevented people from hailing a Karwa cab. This also explains the increasing popularity of the public buses not only among low-income workers but also
among women and executives.
A senior official of Mowasalat, however, said yesterday that Karwa taxis were operating normally and no significant drop in the daily collection had been reported so far. He admitted that compared to the taxi service, the bus service had gained popularity in recent months.
Mowasalat has no immediate plans to go for further expansion of its fleet of taxis and buses, he said. “We are waiting for completion of the Karwa City project by next year. Any major expansion plan will be considered only after that,” the official told
The Peninsula.
The company is working on a plan to introduce more effective monitoring of its taxis and public buses, he added.
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been in one once and that was enough for me to say never again.
My thoughts are my own, but I doubt my Mum would agree with some of them.
i agree they're rounding to areas where there isnt much passengers. i was in najma last thursday noontime and i was surprised there are so many empty taxis. but if im waiting in al sadd, same time it would take me about 15 mins or more to get a cab.
sometimes these cabs are ON CALL so they refuse to take passengers...
and lastly i dont think sales went down...i noticed some drivers collect the payment and goes directky to their pockets. no meter readings..this is on several occasions i ride karwa.
I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it. ~Charles Schulz
Karwa sucks, there is never one when I need one, that's the reason I don't take them very often, not the price. I often pay double to get a private taxi, which is worth it also, because the cars are taken care of better and the drivers know where more things are.
Well, hopefully Karwa will go bust from their seriously shitty management skills.
never rely on karwa. took them ages to pick up the phone and finally shows up at your door. and when you really need them at the street, nobody passing by.
better if you can get private limo driver and stick with them.
Everybody is right everybody is wrong, it depend where you stand
What a load of bullcr@p. The Karwa drivers are lazy and avoid moving around, hunting for a fare. Also, there are simply not enough taxis in Doha. I pay upwards of QR 35 for short trips on private taxi/limo.
Karwa should give QR500 as salary and 10% of total daily collection as incentive.
some drivers are very choosy with passengers,their driving sucks, and some of them really really need a bath... and they complain of fewer customers... i wonder why... :/
The management just sucks!
Driver comment:""We have to pay a fixed amount to the company every day whether we earn that much or not. These days we don’t make any profits, even if we work hard,” lamented a driver""
Karwa Managment comment""A senior official of Mowasalat, however, said yesterday that Karwa taxis were operating normally and no significant drop in the daily collection had been reported so far""
thats so funny..the driver has to pay 265 riyals everyday whether he earn it or he gives it from his own pocket and the official says that no significant drop in the daily collection had been reported so far..ofcourse when the driver has to pay that much amount in any case then how can there be a dropdown in money collection...these people think that the citizens are idiot and see nothing...we have eyes dude.we can see,hear & speak.its just because of this kind of dumb managment that people have already boycott the Karwa Taxi....i don't know how the CEO of the company doesn't take any action againt this kind of managment being unfair to the drivers...these kind of targets make them drive taxi fast and most of the times they endup banging someone risking their and the customer's life..
"Some Karwa taxi drivers say the economic downturn and high fares are keeping people away from taxis."
what?? are they kidding?in fact, passengers prefer to pay a bit higher rates to private taxis than karwa because of availability. What has this downturn to do with karwa anyway. If people need a transport they surely find a means to get one. Problem is, you karwas are ALWAYS not there!
"I do live by the motto that pessimists are usually right, but all the great change in history was done by optimists" -Thomas Friedman
not the taxi driver,they are giving a good service,but the question is how the management of karwa improve their rules.
Yea i agree with Qatarkiwi, karwa taxis allways have hours of waiting time.
lalala
i do not think so never ever
Where are they by the way, I think they prefer to stay in the malls. Private is more accessible just call them and wait them inside your home or office, rather than staying under the sun or waiting for a long hours.
I would definately use Karwa taxis if they would be available! Every time I phone its usually a 4 hour wait. They can't be doing that badly if they have a 4 hour backlog. I go private every time as I can call and get a taxi in 10-15 minutes ever time.
most of them are choosing their passengers according to their convenience...
salary schemed drivers are lining up in CCD where they can sit back and relax while rental schemed drivers are always on booked.
to where the customers are, and that's the truth!
where in part of Doha they cannot find customers? This is unbelievable! And the management should install some taxi stands in some streets around Doha, not just in malls. There should be different queue for the taxi customers apart from bus customers. You can find taxi stands anywhere in the world, I wonder Doha doesn't have any except in some malls.
"I do live by the motto that pessimists are usually right, but all the great change in history was done by optimists" -Thomas Friedman