Doha: Minister of Transport H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti underlined that the Ministry had developed a huge and resilient programme for the advancement of the transport sector to keep pace with all future variables and requirements, most importantly the obligations of hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Speaking to QNA, the Minister of Transport said that hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has contributed significantly to accelerating the pace of sustainable development processes taking place the country, in line with achieving the pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030.
He explained that the programme included the development of preliminary designs for developing roads and maintaining their sustainability, in addition to supervising the development of infrastructure for the transport sector and its facilities such as ports and airports.
He added that the Ministry has implemented an integrated programme to develop the public bus infrastructure, which included the inauguration of eight bus stations and four depots, in addition to bus parking lots in more than 1,700 locations, and four ‘Park & Ride’ parking lots. The Minister of Transport underlined that the Public Bus Infrastructure Program is one of the most environmentally friendly programmes in the world.
It lays the foundations for a complete transformation to a transportation system powered by clean, environmentally friendly electric energy.
The Minister noted that the works carried out by the Ministry of Transport led to the establishment of an integrated and sustainable transport network in the country, to form an interconnected transport unit that includes public transit bus systems, and Doha Metro and Lusail Trams network, supported by advanced infrastructure and using the latest international technology.
He pointed to the inauguration of ‘Sila Operation Center’ which aims at connecting public transport in the State of Qatar within an integrated network, offering the public the smartest transport options. In regard to maritime transport, the Minister explained that the comprehensive redevelopment carried out by the Ministry for Doha Port will enhance the country’s leadership in the cruise ship sector in accordance with the highest international standards, thus consolidating the country’s position in tourism.
Speaking about the civil aviation sector and its preparations to host the global tournament, he pointed to many important developments in this regard, such as increasing the number of air routes in the airspace of the State of Qatar and modernizing the devices and systems used in air navigation, in order to accommodate the large air traffic expected during the tournament, in addition to providing all necessary requirements to host this event.
He also noted the adoption of the latest weather forecasting and monitoring systems. In addition, many meteorological centers in the State had been developed to ensure more modern and accurate services.
The Minister referred to the opening of Mukaynis Meteorological Center which includes the first weather radar of its kind in the country. The center provides services to all major events, most importantly the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
In terms of coordinating efforts for the hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the Minister of Transport noted that the Ministry, in coordination with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, developed a plan to implement transport demand management and to test the effectiveness of this plan, which seeks to reduce road traffic that will be associated with the World Cup events as well as for the post-tournament period.
The Minister added that joint teams have also been activated with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy to ensure the effectiveness and success of transport plans during the World Cup, and to ensure the applicability of all other transport systems, in an integrated manner in terms of coordination and identification of all roles and responsibilities of strategic partners such as the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), the Ministry of Interior, Mowasalat (Karwa), and Qatar Rail.