Double-decker buses on Qatar's roads soon Mowasalat Co is all set to boost Qatar’s public transport fleet by 27 percent. As a result, 300 new taxis and around 10 double-decker buses will hit Doha roads soon, Jassim Saif Al Sulaiti, Chairman and Managing Director of Mowasalat, said yesterday. Mowasalat has also introduced specially designed buses for labourers. “A few buses are already on the roads. The idea is to introduce 50 buses exclusively to transport them from various camps to their worksites. All the buses are air-conditioned and heat resistant,” he said, briefing the media about the company’s expansion plans. Mowasalat is supplying buses under short and long term contracts. As of now, there are 195 buses extending services to 21 government and private companies and hospitals. They include Al Khor Hospital, RasGas, Dolphin Energy, Qatar Energy, Shell and Qatar Petroleum (QP) as well as a number of hotels. Al Sulaiti said the company is currently in the process of replacing 400 Karwa taxis with new ones and adding another 300 to the fleet. “Mowasalat is also planning to introduce 5-10 double-decker buses. The first batch of eco-friendly buses will hit the roads before January 2009. At least 25 cars will be introduced during the holy month of Ramadan,” he said. The company has already started recruiting more drivers. The number of drivers in the company will go up to 1,000 by the end of this year. Training in basic communication skills in Arabic, Urdu, English and Filipino languages will be given to the drivers. In line with its commitment to combat pollution, Mowasalat has immediate plans to launch 50 taxis that will run on clean fuel. The fuel stations are almost ready and the vehicles will soon be on the roads. The company also has plans to introduce cars and buses operating on solar energy and electricity, Al Sulaiti said. Replying to a query, he said the company has already put up bus shelters at more than 100 locations. Another 200 locations will be identified soon. Ahmed Al Mansuri, Executive Director, Karwa; Nasser Al Khanji, Director, Mass Transit; Ahmed Al Ansari, Director, Business Development, and Brett Subritzki, Director, Taxi & Limousine Business Unit, also attended the press conference. Jassim Saif Al Sulaiti (third from left), Chairman and Managing Director of Mowasalat, announcing the company's expansion plans to the media, as (from left) Ahmed Al Ansari, Ahmed Al Mansuri and Nasser Al Khanji look on. ( The Pen

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