General Information » Getting Around » Taxi

If you’re planning to stay in Doha for a long visit or you are a new resident then relying on taxis may be a pain. With the increasing number of people visiting or moving to Doha it is becoming harder to find an empty taxi. At times it seems like there are not enough taxis to accommodate all the residents and if you’re unlucky you may end up waiting for over 40 minutes for a taxi.

At the moment there are two types of taxis, the run-down orange and white ones and the new (more expensive) blue cars. The newer blue cars are run by the private taxi service, ‘Karwa’ which was launched in 2004. The future plan is that the Karwa taxis will eventually replace the orange and white ones which are being withdrawn from the market gradually. The good news is that Karwa is steadily increasing the number of their taxis, so hopefully the problem of finding a cab will be solved soon.

Karwa taxis’ meters start at QR 3 and run at QR 1 per kilometre. To save yourself the headache of flagging a taxi, you can always order one in advance for an extra charge of QR 1 by calling 458 8888. As for the old orange and white taxis, there is no central dispatch to order a car from, so your only option is to flag one from the side of the road.

Taxi drivers (especially those who drive the orange and white cabs) know the city pretty well although street names are not commonly used and most drivers navigate using landmarks.

Taking a taxi from the airport, you have the option of either an orange and white taxi whose driver will refuse to take you anywhere for less than QR 20-30, but you can always bargain, or taking a blue taxi which uses meters, but has a higher pick-up charge from the airport.





Tip box: Illegal pickups

Illegal Pickups

Don't be surprised if while you are waiting for a cab, an unmarked car stops and shouts 'taxi' in your direction. These are regular drivers who are looking for ways to make extra money by driving people around. It is advisable not to bother with these unlicensed public drivers especially if you are a female.