* Service resumes from Tuesday at 30% of capacity
* Any person who fails to comply with safety measures will not be permitted on network or asked to leave
* Elevator capacity will be limited to four persons only
* Unaccompanied children under 12 not allowed now
Doha Metro will back on track from Tuesday with Covid-19 safety precautions on board, Qatar Rail has stressed.
"During this early post-pandemic period, Qatar Rail will be operating a full service, but on advice from the authorities, will be limiting passenger loading on trains to around 30% maximum capacity," Qatar Rail said on Monday in a statement on the resumption of services.
The health and safety of passengers is an "absolute priority" and ahead the reopening, Qatar Rail has introduced a series of additional measures and operating procedures in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and Ministry of Transportation and Communication (MoTC) to prevent the spread of the virus.
To access stations, passengers will be required to show their Ehteraz app health status and have their temperature checked. Only passengers with the 'green' health status and body temperatures below 37.8C will be permitted entry. The wearing of face masks on station premises and on board is mandatory throughout the journey. All measures will be monitored by security and customer service staff. Any person who fails to comply with the safety measures will not be permitted on the network or asked to leave.
Hand sanitising units have been installed in all stations, near the Travel Card Vending machines, and on platforms. Signage is in place to explain how to keep everyone safe, including social distancing floor signs positioned at queuing points by the Travel Card Vending machines, goldclub and fare gates. Notices on trains are also in place to reduce overcrowding and elevator capacity will be limited to four persons only with signs in place. Unaccompanied children under the age of 12 years will not be able to travel on the Metro at this time.
Housekeeping staff are posted across all stations to implement an enhanced cleaning regime. This includes sanitisation of all touch points at stations and on trains, including the Travel Card Vending machines, escalators and stair rails, and the goldclub offices. Regular disinfection has also been scheduled with Qatar Rail’s suppliers.
Retail outlets at stations will also reopen in accordance with government guidelines for commercial premises and food outlets. Eating and drinking will not be allowed on the trains or on stations, unless at designated retail outlets, where specific guidelines will be in place for customer safety.
To ensure enforcement of the new procedures, on-site security guards, customer service agents and revenue protection staff will strictly monitor compliance across all stations and on trains. In the face of non-compliance, the Public Transportation Security Department at the Ministry of Interior (transport police) will tend to any incidents and issue fines where passengers refuse to follow the stated precautions, the statement explains.
The use of re-useable contactless Travel Cards helps further reduce the number of contact touch points throughout the journey. Customers can now use debit cards in addition to credit cards to top up online through the website or Qatar Rail App. Passengers should also note that single-use paper travel cards are no longer available under efforts to make Doha Metro more sustainable.
Travel Cards are available for purchase at all metro stations. Pre-loaded Standard Travel Cards are also available at licensed retailers, including Al Meera, LuLu, Carrefour, Jumbo Electronics and Family Food Centre. goldclub Travel Cards can be purchased from dedicated goldclub offices at all Metro stations.
A full timetable will be in all 37 stations of the Red, Green and Gold lines, including the newly opened Legtaifiya station.
All lines will return to the same service hours as prior to the lockdown, from 6am to 11pm, Saturday to Wednesday, from 6am to midnight on Thursday, and from 2pm to midnight on Friday.
The frequency of services also remains the same with trains running every five minutes across the Green and Gold lines and every five minutes from Al Wakra and Hamad International Airport on the Red Line.
metrolink will also resume on selected routes initially with plans to open fully. Passengers can easily access information on travel routes on the Qatar Rail App and through Qatar Rail’s social media pages.
metroexpress is also available to use on a limited capacity basis with a maximum of three passengers on board. This service is available via the metroexpress App.
"Qatar Rail is committed to providing a safe and seamless journey for travellers on the Doha Metro network. All precautions have been adopted in collaboration with the MoPH to assure passengers’ safety," the statement adds.
