'Plan well before starting journey during World Cup'

* SC announces key transport information for residents and visitors

 

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 organisers have released key transport information for residents and visitors ahead of this year’s tournament, which will be held from November 20 to December 18.This was announced at a press conference attended by Abdulaziz al-Mawlawi, Mobility executive director - Event Operations at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC); First-Lieutenant Khaled al-Mulla, head of the Technical Team of the Corniche Closure Committee, Ministry of Interior; Abdulla Saif al-Sulaiti, chief of Service Delivery at Qatar Rail; Najla Malallah al-Jaber, head of the Land Transport Regulations and Policies Section at the Ministry of Transport; Mohamed Ali al-Marri, Doha City Designs lead at the Public Works Authority (Ashghal); and Ahmed al-Obaidly, chief operating officer of Mowasalat (Karwa).Al-Mawlawi said the organisers are fully confident in providing the best transportation services during the World Cup. “There will be different transportation alternatives in various places with the best plans to facilitate access to stadiums. The Metro, buses and taxis are fully prepared, and we advise everyone to plan before embarking on their trips. We worked on developing all solutions to be ready to facilitate the movement of transport throughout the period of hosting. We have tried different transport plans in various local and international events and worked on improving and modifying the plans to reach an integrated transport plan that will be implemented during the World Cup,” he said.He urged fans to use official platforms to get updates and said a comprehensive World Cup guide will be published.For arrivals at Hamad International Airport and Doha International Airport, the SC said fans will have a range of transport options when they arrive – including shuttle buses, the Doha Metro, taxis and ride-hail services, such as Uber and Careem. Shuttle buses will operate from both airports and help fans reach their accommodation and tourist attractions in central Doha.On match days, the organisers recommended that local residents use private transportation to get to tournament venues and to drive where possible, while visitors are encouraged to use the Doha Metro and public bus services. Direct bus services will be operational to stadiums from five locations around Doha and key accommodation sites. From November 1, Corniche Street will be pedestrianised as it prepares to host a variety of activities for fans during the tournament. Fans are encouraged to use public transport to visit either the Corniche Activation or FIFA Fan Festival, located at Al Bidda Park. Shuttle bus services will be operated so that fans can travel between entertainment areas. Free shuttle bus services are now operating between Souq Waqif Metro station and Al Bidda Park, connecting fans to various locations across B-Ring and C-Ring roads, and connecting accommodation sites to activations.Timetables and routes are available on the Mowasalat (Karwa) website.During the press conference, the officials said a vehicle plate management system will be implemented in central Doha from November 1. The area covered spans from Al Khafji Street in the north to C-Ring Road in the west and south, and Corniche Street in the east. Under the plan, which is currently being tested every Friday from 3pm to 10pm until October 28, vehicles with general transport plates and black private transport plates are diverted away from central Doha. During the tournament, this will be operational daily. People who own only one vehicle, as well as public transport vehicles and emergency services, are exempted from the plan. The local authorities will issue fines for vehicles that access central Doha without meeting the exemption criteria, according to the official Qatar News Agency (QNA).A-Ring Road now has a dedicated bus and taxi lane. Drivers not authorised to use the bus and taxi lane will be fined. The lane will be open to all road users from 2am to 8am only until the tournament. The lane will be used exclusively by buses and taxis 24 hours a day during the tournament.To organise vehicle entry and exit, traffic will be restricted around Al Thumama, Khalifa International, Lusail and Al Janoub stadiums. Residents of the areas surrounding these venues are encouraged to use alternative routes.Details on entry via the Abu Samra land border will be announced by the relevant authorities in due course. Al-Mawlawi said private parking will be provided next to Metro stations, and free transportation with the Hayya Card will be allowed from November 10 until December 23, QNA reported.He explained that the transportation operations revolve around transportation by Metro through 37 stations to all stadiums and event areas, and that buses will be present continuously during the tournament period to cover stadiums and other facilities.He added that the number of taxis is about 3,000, in addition to 11,500 Uber vehicles and 3,500 Careem cars, indicating that the sites covered by the transportation system are many, the most important of which are stadiums, media centres, ticket centres and Hayya Card support centres, airports, bus centres, fan zones, FIFA media centres, parks and transportation areas across five different areas in Doha, 37 Metro stations, six fan villages, three training sites and national teams' headquarters, and two ports.He noted that a mobility guide will be printed soon and include all options and details related to transportation, and that transportation services for people with disabilities will be available across all means of transportation, including taxis and buses, designated parking lots near stadiums and event venues, as well as the Metro network.Al-Mawlawi pointed out that access to the stadiums will be by different means, namely private cars, bus services, the Doha Metro with its three lines, and taxis (Karwa, Uber and Careem) from five locations, namely Qatar University, Al Qassar and Umm Ghuwailina, Al Wakra and Al Messila.First-Lieutenant al-Mulla said Corniche Street will be designated for pedestrians from November 1 to December 19, and a plan has been prepared to facilitate transportation during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.Al-Mulla confirmed that there is a dedicated lane for authorised vehicles on A-Ring Road to separate the movement of buses on public streets to provide a smooth environment for the movement of light vehicles as well as other vehicles on the road.Concerning parking, he said the unavailable parking spaces are Souq Waqif parking lots, Al Shouyoukh Mosque and Al Bidda parking opposite Al Rayyan Street, which is opposite Al Istiklal Street, and all parking spaces inside the transfer area. Speaking at the press conference, al-Sulaiti said Qatar Rail is fully prepared to receive FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 fans, adding that Doha Metro lines are directly connected with five World Cup stadiums, while buses will transport fans to the other three stadiums.He added that Metro stations are directly connected to Hamad International Airport, Doha International Airport and central Doha districts like Msheireb, Corniche, Katara - the Cultural Village Foundation and other event locations.He said the Metro working hours will be extended to 21 hours daily, from 6am until 3am, while on Fridays the operating hours will be from 9am to 3am, stressing that 110 trains will be available to serve fans, and the waiting time will be reduced from five minutes to 165 seconds.He added that parking services will be provided near Metro stations, adding that Hayya Card holders can use the Metro and Lusail Tram for free.Al-Obaidly said  hundreds of buses will be operated, 25% of which will be environmentally friendly and fully electric, and will have a role in transforming the transportation system into an eco-friendly one.He explained that the transport network has been developed to operate nearly 800 public buses from 4am to 11pm, in addition to the metrolink and metroexpress feeder services, noting that and more than 2,300 buses will operate throughout the day.Further, al-Obaidly said more than 3,000 taxis and limousines will be ready to serve fans and will be stationed at Hamad International Airport, Doha Airport and other vital places in the country.Al-Marri said Ashghal has implemented a sophisticated network of highways and main streets that will facilitate access to all World Cup stadiums, training and accommodation venues for the tournament and the most vital places in the country, fan zones, parks and Metro stations.The company has also installed 1,180 directional panels to facilitate access to the stadiums and different facilities related to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and the roads are monitored first through Ashghal's Road Network Control Centre in co-ordination with the tournament's control room.Al-Marri added that more than 6mn sqm of parking spaces has been provided to serve the championship buses and utility vehicles.Al-Jaber affirmed that the Ministry of Transport, in partnership with the competent authorities, has prepared ways to provide a flexible experience for users by working to expand mobility options and create sustainability options.The official said bus stations cover all districts of the country, adding that they are working to develop policies to encourage the use of public transportation and create the infrastructure supporting that, such as operating eight bus stations.