Transport network to be ready before World Cup 2022

The transport network in the country is set to be ready ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 while work on the railway network that links Qatar with Saudi Arabia is expected to start soon, HE the Minister of Transport  Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti has said.In an interview with Abdullah Ghanem al-Binali al-Mohannadi, the Editor-in-Chief of local Arabic daily Arrayah, HE the Minister said five bus station were recently completed, of which Al Sudan was the first to be inaugurated, while bus stations in Lusail, Al Wakra, the Industrial Area and Education City are ready to be handed over for operation in co-ordination with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal). Besides, bus stations will also be completed and made operational at Msheireb, Al Gharrafa and Central West Bay. It is expected that all these stations will be operational before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. In addition, construction works are under way to set up four bus depots in Al Wakra, the New Industrial Area, Lusail and Al Rayyan, which will be ready for handover by Ashghal during the third quarter of this year. These will be equipped with some 650 electric charging stations. Besides, infrastructure works at the stations as well as the docking of marine ferries will be accomplished during the third quarter of this year, making the whole transportation infrastructure complete and ready for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.He said the Ministry of Transport, in co-ordination with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, has a plan to implement Transport Demand Management (TDM) and test the efficiency of this plan, which aims to reduce the traffic load not connected to activities of the World Cup as well as after the event. The plan aims to avoid the creation of expensive infrastructure for a short period during the tournament, reduce the need for private transportation, curb traffic congestion and delays, improve the currently available infrastructure and service quality, enhance the efficiency of public transportation, and encourage the use of environment-friendly and safe means of public transportation, in addition to encouraging the adoption of more sustainable types of transport such as walking and cycling, and suspending work in crowded areas during the peak phase of the tournament.Further, joint work teams have been activated with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy to guarantee the effectiveness and success of the transport plans during the World Cup while specifying the roles and responsibilities of the main strategic partners, such as Ashghal, the Ministry of Interior, Mowasalat Company (Karwa) and Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail).There are 26 scheduled projects, including 12 to be implemented to serve the World Cup, distributed among different government entities, of which the Ministry of Transport is executing three. In addition, there are 14 projects for the post-World Cup scenario, with nine of these assigned to the Ministry. The tournament projects include encouraging the use of public transport such as the Metro, buses and tram by providing free transportation to ticket holders, the 'Park and Ride' project, whereby certain restrictions will be imposed on parking vehicles in congested areas, and another project currently under study to give certain incentives to private vehicles carrying more than three passengers, while imposing fees on single-passenger vehicles and taxis. The public transport is also heading towards more use of clean energy, as 25% of the buses designated for the World Cup will be fully electric while 75% of the fleet will run on the environment-friendly diesel (Euro 5). After the event is over, 65% of the public transportation buses are set to be electric by 2023, and up to 86% by 2028 and 100% by 2030. Besides, the electric buses will be used to serve schools and Metro operations. HE the Minister affirmed that the prices of Doha Metro tickets and other means of public transportation will remain unchanged all through this year. Regarding the operation of the Lusail Tram, he said six stations are operational out of the total 25 and the remaining will be gradually opened through this year.As for the expansion of Hamad International Airport, he said the airport in its first phase of expansion will be able to cater to 58mn travellers a year and this phase will be accomplished before the World Cup. The second phase of expansion will start immediately after the tournament, and will take the capacity of the airport to 60mn passengers annually.Similarly, the process of the comprehensive development of Doha Port is nearing completion. He said this project entails the creation of new tracks for pedestrians, commercial shops and cafes, in addition to a new market, a fish market and a facility for receiving big tourist ships.HE the Minister pointed out that the Ministry has invested around QR66.5bn over the past few years to develop the Doha Metro network, QR13.5bn on the Lusail Tram and QR4bn to create the infrastructure necessary for electric buses. GCC rail lineRegarding the rail project that links Saudi Arabia with Qatar, HE the Minister of Transport  Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti expected it to be the main part of the GCC railway network to transport goods and passengers. He said the Ministry of Transport, in co-ordination with the entities concerned, has completed the necessary groundwork to start implementing this project including specifying the link track, preparation of the detailed engineering designs, preparation of the tender document, and updating the time schedule and work plan. It is expected to invite tenders for the project within this year. Regarding the latest in co-operation in the field of transport among the GCC countries, HE the Minister said a 2,117km-long railway line is the the most important part of this plan.Work is also going on to introduce unified rules for land transport among the GCC countries to ease the movement of passengers and goods among them, in addition to other various technical projects to enhance traffic safety and efficiency.