Qatar has made great strides in modernising its public transportation system in recent years, not only facilitating the masses but also cutting carbon emissions from the transportation sector. Doha Metro has revolutionised the country’s public transportation system. Before the metro started its operations in 2019, Mowasalat (Karwa) buses were the main public transportation mode in the country.
Mowasalat has now redesigned the bus network in order to integrate the entire transit system. New public bus routes have been introduced while some routes have been phased out. For many years, Karwa has been facilitating the public and improving their mobility through its user-friendly mobile app, through which commuters can plan their journey and find the nearest bus point and the live location of the bus.
To further improve and integrate the entire mass transit system, the Ministry of Transport recently launched the Transportation Master Plan for Qatar 2050 (TMPQ).
This plan will work as a roadmap for investing in land transportation infrastructure and identifies the frameworks and future orientations for developing the transportation networks in a way that ensures their integration with land uses, urban development, population growth and meeting the future demand for transportation.
It is estimated that the 2050 Transportation Master Plan will increase public transport accessibility to education facilities and workplaces by 50 percent and will increase the ridership on train and buses by 81 percent. The plan is expected to also cut traffic congestion and improve truck mobility. Under TMPQ's expected impacts, it is estimated that there will be 43 percent reduction in annual fuel consumption while there will be 45-73 percent reduction in harmful emissions generated from traffic. Improving coordination between land use and transport planning and increasing developers’ and private sector’s contribution in implementing transportation infrastructure are also part of the plan.
The government is also implementing a plan to convert public buses to electric and envisages 25 percent of the fleet to go electric by 2022. Under the strategy, public buses, government school buses and Doha Metro feeder buses will gradually shift to electrification. Electric-powered buses are currently plying on some routes in the country.
Apart from a modern rail and bus network, Qatar has also attached great importance to building pedestrian and bicycle-friendly infrastructure and pathways. Qatar’s integrated and efficient transportation system is catering to tens of thousands of commuters daily and is ready to welcome fans for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
