Turquoise Colored Taxi

Doha has interesting color taxi … Turquoise. This is not the usual color of taxi in GCC. Looks interesting.

Watching Turquoise Colored Taxi

When we took the taxi from Souq Al Waqif to Villaggio Mall, taxi ride took around 20 minutes. When we reached the destination, I asked the taxi driver to print the bill. He said that the billing system is faulty and that he didn’t start the meter. He emphasised that if the journey was on meter, it would cost more as the traffic jam would be excluded in the journey charges. He asked for QR 30. I pointed him the sticker that was pasted on the window of the taxi that if the meter is not working, the journey is free. I also told him that I will call the number mentioned on the sticker and tell them the meter is not working and my journey is free. On hearing this, the taxi driver, pulled a role of paper from somewhere in the car and put it in the printer and handed me the printed bill of my journey.  The amount on the printed bill was QR 18.5. Which means that the driver was demanding QR 11.5 over the actual bill. BEWARE of this fraud and always ask for the printed bill and ensure that the meter is working. If the metre is not working then don’t pay anything as the journey would be free. The taxi was of Cars Taxi.

Our second taxi journey was from Villaggio Mall to City centre mall, and it took us couple of minutes to find a taxi. Third time when we tried to find taxi from west bay, we couldn’t find one and opted for the private car, which stopped and provided us ride to our next destination. That’s a normal passenger car and drivers are just driving it for earning some extra amount. These types of cars are easy to find and available more readily than taxis. Where ever you will stand, some passing by vehicle will horn or do beamer from headlight to indicate that he is looking for passengers and want you to ride on his vehicle. This mode is cheap but not very safe. Also I believe it’s not a legal practice.