CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

Views /Editorial

Safety is foremost

Published: 16 May 2018 - 08:28 am | Last Updated: 04 Oct 2025 - 11:14 pm

Qatar has made serious efforts in recent years to decrease road fatalities and with the help of sincere, untiring efforts of relevant authorities, the country has accomplished remarkable achievements in this regard.

The implementation of National Traffic Safety Strategy is passing through its second phase (2018-22) while the state has achieved numerous goals in its first phase from 2013-17.

Addressing the sixth Forum of the Stakeholder Coordinators of the National Road Safety Strategy, Brig. Mohamed Saad Al Kharji, Second Vice President of the National Traffic Safety Committee and Director General of Traffic Department, emphasized that the forum coincided with the completion of five important years in the implementation of the first phase of the national strategy for traffic safety.

He pointed out that the implementation of the second phase of the strategy requires extraordinary efforts, cooperation from all sides and unparalleled implementation mechanism to address traffic problems and the achievement of the 2022 goals with high efficiency. 

He also said that the first phase of the implementation of the strategy (2013-2017) achieved remarkable results, which resulted in a decrease in the mortality rate in 2017 to 177 cases, an average of 6.6 cases per hundred thousand people. 

Qatar under second phase of implementation of strategy aims to reduce the number of deaths due to traffic accidents to 130 annually by 2022. It also aims at the implementation of the United Nations goals for sustainable development related to reducing congestion, developing urban planning, road and transport networks, improving traffic safety, and linking improved traffic safety with economic growth, national security and population policy.

The State of Qatar is at the forefront of the region’s most advanced countries in the field of roads, transport and traffic safety by building an integrated transport system in accordance with national strategic vision. 

Along other state organizations, Ashghal is performing its due role regarding road safety by constructing more roads and maintaining safety related aspects of existing road infrastructure.

An official of The Public Works Authority told the meeting of stakeholders that the Department of Maintenance of Roads (related to safety) completed 36 projects in the period from 2014 - 2017 including 371 bicycle tracks, while the aim of the work during the next five years (2018-22) is to complete a number of projects including 1543 kilometers of road works and 2000 km of footpaths, In addition to 1028 km of bicycle tracks.

The Public Works Authority too has started a new era in implementing its projects and achieving its vision in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 to achieve the highest safety rates in the road network in Qatar.