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SaharaDesert
Joined: 05 Nov 2008 Posts: 260
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Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 4:32 am Post subject: Taxis in Doha |
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Is it difficult to find taxis in Doha ?
Is there good public transportation there ? |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 1003 Location: US
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Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 5:16 am Post subject: Re: Taxis in Doha |
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SaharaDesert wrote: |
Is it difficult to find taxis in Doha ?
Is there good public transportation there ? |
No real public transportation that you'd want to use.
Taxis are easy to find, usually.
You can also hire a driver, who you make arrangements with to pick you up and take you where you need to go. |
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Dedicated
Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK
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Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:17 am Post subject: |
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Doha has no train, tram or metro systems though a metro system was proposed for the future.
The local buses operated by Mowasalat are very infrequent, usually only one every hour, and only operate Saturday to Thursday - no Friday service. The buses are used by workers from the Indian sub-continent.
You can read about this on
[url] Qatar.angloinfo.com/transport/public-transport/local-bus-services[/url]
Taxis are plentiful in Doha and when I was there I did not want to buy a car, so I arranged with a regular taxi driver to take me/collect me everywhere. It worked really well. |
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SaharaDesert
Joined: 05 Nov 2008 Posts: 260
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Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks to both of you for the info. ! |
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psychedelicacy
Joined: 05 Oct 2013 Posts: 180 Location: Beijing
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Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2015 12:41 am Post subject: |
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Until Doha gets a subway, which is under construction and will open in 2019 (completed in 2026), the roads are a nightmare unless it's weekend or Thursday afternoon. The only place I've ever seen with worse traffic is Hanoi, Vietnam. But it's not just the density/quantity; it's the quality/aggression.
I never used the bus. The buses themselves looked modern, but the infrastructure clearly had not received proper investment, and they never went where I wanted to go.
I either walked or got taxis. Taxis are mostly good, reliable and reasonably priced, but many drivers will ask for an upfront fare, even though they're not supposed to, and usually this will be excessive. To be honest, I don't blame them, because of the traffic. However, a single taxi journey in Doha should only ever be a maximum of 40 riyals. And that's the longest possible route.
The best thing to do is definitely to befriend a trusted driver, but they are never 100% reliable. But for regular scheduled trips, like to and from work, a driver is the way to go.
Never drive in the Middle East. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 1003 Location: US
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Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:51 am Post subject: |
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psychedelicacy wrote: |
Never drive in the Middle East. |
It really depends on how much you like driving, and how confident you are in your driving skill. I drove in Doha every day from the very first day I arrived to the day I left. It was sometimes a bit harrowing, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. |
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