More than 1mn people use Doha Metro in last two months

The Doha Metro set a "ridership record" as it carried some 1,082,112 passengers during the months of July and August, Qatar Rail said on Saturday.

While 518,535 people used the Metro in July, the number increased to 563,577 in August, according to an infographic tweeted by Qatar Rail, thanking the public for "choosing Doha Metro to travel" and stressing that it "always look forward" to welcoming passengers on board.

Operations on the Doha Metro's Red Line South were launched on May 8 and the service was met with an excellent response right from Day 1. A total of 86,487 passengers travelled on the Doha Metro on the first two days of its launch, and the service has since emerged as a favoured mode of travel for many people in Qatar.

Then, on the day of the Amir Cup final, the Metro carried 68,725 passengers, setting a new ridership record for a single day. Yet another record was set on the first of Eid al-Fitr, when some 75,940 people used the Metro.

While many commuters use the Metro to travel to and from office , the service has also seen high passenger number during special occasions such as the Eid holidays.

Currently, 13 stations are open on the Red Line South: Al Qassar, DECC, QIC West Bay, Corniche, Al Bidda, Msheireb, Al Doha Al Jadeda, Umm Ghuwailina, Al Matar Al Qadeem, Oqba Ibn Nafie, Economic Zone, Ras Bu Fontas and Al Wakra.

There are two "first and last mile services" available for Doha Metro passengers looking to travel to and from the stations - Metrolink and, for those in the West Bay area, Metroexpress. Also, people can use Karwa Taxi to reach Metro stations at discounted rates.

The Metrolink feeder bus service, being operated in association with Mowasalat, provides transportation to commuters around a specific area to and from the stations. They halt only at designated stops as a safety measure.

Metroexpress offers "convenient, stress-free, shared travel" services, currently covering the West Bay areas.

Qatar Rail has also announced retail opportunities at various Doha Metro stations, covering the Red, Green and Gold lines, aimed at supporting local enterprises and promoting economic activities in the country.

The closing date for applications is September 12, according to information available on the Twitter page of Qatar Rail. For more information, those interested can visit retail.qr.com.qa.

The retail opportunities span 16 stations and include 74 retail units, eight retail kiosks and 46 ATMs. The 16 stations are located across three lines - 10 in Gold, five in Red and one in Green.