Karwa's taxi fleet is poised for a major expansion in six months by exceeding 5,000 vehicles as one of its franchisees, Cars Taxi, is expected to introduce 500 more cars as part of its capacity strengthening programme.
"Cars Taxi would have 1,000 cabs by the end of October," group CEO Abdulla al-Sabbagh announced on Thursday at a ceremony which saw 25 new vehicles flagged off. The company was hitherto operating 500 taxis.
The country's transport authorities have put in place an ambitious plan to press into service no less than 7,000 taxis by the turn of this decade as part of their commitment to improve the taxi network.
Al-Sabbagh, who is also the chairman of the International Union of Public Transport (UITP) Middle East and North African (MENA) Region said the new taxis were being launched to meet the requirements of both the residents and visitors to Qatar.
"Every vehicle of Cars Taxi is equipped with advanced mobile data terminals (MDTs), inclusive of meters, navigation systems, taxi tracking, dispatch and speed monitoring systems," he explained.
Cars Taxi's operator in Qatar, Profit Group director P Balasubramaniam, claimed that since its introduction in September 2014, their company's taxis had become a distinctive presence on the country's roads.
"In line with the goals and objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030, our company is looking forward to introduce hybrid taxis, similar to those launched by us in the UAE," he stated.
Cars Taxi is also actively exploring the possibility for introducing dedicated taxis for families, women and vehicles to meet the travel requirements of special needs people. This concept has been a success in the UAE.
At the ceremony, the company officials gave mementos and certificates to some of the better performers among the Cars Taxi drivers.
Qatar's public transport provider Mowasalat's limousines director Ali Abdulla al-Bazad and Taxi Management Office director Ali Hassan al-Emadi were also present at the launch ceremony.