Transport Network to be Ready Before FIFA World Cup 2022

Busses for FIFA which will transport all the passengers during FIFA

HE Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti stressed that the transport network in the country will be ready ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, in addition to five bus stations that were recently completed.

In an interview with the Qatari daily newspaper Al-Raya, HE the Minister said that five bus stations 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 coordination with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal).

Bus stations will also be completed and become operational at Msheireb, Al Gharrafa and Central West Bay. It is expected that these stations will all 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 2022. These will be equipped with some 650 electric charging stations.
Infrastructure works at the stations, as well as the docking of marine ferries, will be accomplished during the third quarter of 2022, making the whole transportation infrastructure complete and ready for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

His Excellency said that the Ministry of Transport, in coordination 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 FIFA 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.

HE Minister pointed out that the Ministry has invested around QR 66.5 billion over the past few years to develop the Doha Metro network, QR 13.5 billion on the Lusail Tram and QR 4 billion to create the infrastructure necessary for electric buses.

Regarding the electric transformation plan for public transport, HE Minister said that the Ministry has begun implementing the plan to gradually transform the use of electric buses dedicated to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and after the tournament, to support the operations of the various public transport network and to improve the operation of the Doha Metro, in order to meet the requirements of Qatar National Vision 2030 to completely transform the fleet of environmentally friendly electric buses.

Public transport is also heading towards more use of clean energy, as 25 percent of the buses designated for the FIFA World Cup will be fully electric, while 75 percent of the fleet will run on the environment-friendly diesel (Euro 5). After the event is over, 65 percent of the public buses are set to be electric by 2023, and up to 86 percent by 2028 and 100 percent by 2030. For school buses, 18.5 percent of them will be electric by 2026-27 and 100 percent by 2030.
In addition, work is under way to establish a factory to assemble electric buses in the free zones in the country.

On the completion of the electric vehicle infrastructure, His Excellency said that the Ministry, in cooperation with the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa), has prepared the policy of electric and hybrid vehicles in Qatar, which is one of the pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030 on sustainable development, which seeks to ensure the continued decent living of the people of Qatar through the efficient use of natural resources and the diversity of energy sources, and to increase reliance on renewable energy, particularly in the transport sector, in order to improve the life of the individual, and ensure a clean and healthy environment for this generation and for future generations.

His Excellency stressed that the policy of electric and hybrid vehicles aims to support the nation's march towards a green future by providing the latest fuel-efficient transport systems, with the aim of reducing the volume of harmful carbon emissions, the most important of which are environmentally friendly electric vehicles, and encouraging individuals to own and use them in order to achieve Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

Source: QNA