Thursday, May 09, 2013

Karwa taxi booking service is worse and worse

Last week I  did not have access to  our family's car -so I was forced to book a Karwa taxi twice . I had to go with my kids to a shopping center where there is no taxi station at all .I needed a car both times to come home .The first time the taxi that I booked came 15 minutes later than it should have .So the next time I booked it  for an early time . It came then 40 minutes after the booking time . At the same time one of my child suddenly became sick in the shopping center. There are no seats at all inside for the customers .We were forced to sit outside in the stuffy air with a child who was already so weak . Daddy is in the other side of the city . I felt miserable .I called five times the taxi center .Every time they said " Madame your car is there in the parking " when it was nowhere . Then when he came forty minutes later he said " Sorry -but the traffic jam was too bad " I know the traffic jam is not something new in Qatar .How it comes that they do not calculate it when arranging the booking? Half year ago the booked taxis used to be there 10 minutes before the booking .Now  they are too much late . Forty minutes would have been enough for us to walk home .
Another time I had to go to our embassy .
The limousine service of Karwa also astonished me . The car was nice and came with five minutes delay only -well it was not in the peak hours .But even the call center lady warned me  "madam , you have to know the location "  - I knew the location and told exact address but they meant that I should have guided the driver from street to street .In the past they used to send experienced drivers  with their limo service who knew the city well .After all it is 50 rial per hour and one expects more than from a usual cab .
I have no idea how the strangers in this city can get from one place to the other in this city when the drivers do not know the place .
For those who do not know . A decade ago Qatar had a well working taxi system which was established as the private business of every driver . They  rented the car from a Qatari company and were interested to work well as the money they made was theirs . They knew very well the city .Though booking did not exist at all and they were wearing traditional Asian clothes . Now many of those drivers  went illegal  . I warn ladies never take those cars . You may never know who is inside .  Even I read it shocked that some legally working drivers locked lady passengers and asking for more money at night . It is something that had been unimaginable here so far .

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