Mowasalat public buses fuelled by Compressed Natural Gas at its headquarters in Doha yesterday.
DOHA: Qatar will have about 2,000 public buses on its roads by the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a senior Mowasalat official said yesterday.
The company has embarked on an ambitious expansion plan ahead of the World Cup and for the growing transport requirements of the country, Strategy and Business Development Director at Mowasalat, Nasser Al Khanji told this daily.
State-backed Mowasalat will continue to be the key player in the transport sector in the country, under the direct supervision of the new Minister of Transport, H E Jassim Seif Al Sulaiti, who retains his position as Mowasalat chairman. “Despite the many challenges facing public transport in Qatar, the number of people using public buses is on the rise. We are working on a plan to expand our fleet of public buses from the existing 300 to 2,000 by the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This expansion will be supported with new bus stations, more routes and additional services,” said Al Khanji.
Addressing a press conference earlier, Mowasalat’s CEO Ahmed Al Mansoori said the number of bus passengers in Qatar increased by six per cent this year, compared to the same period last year.
Speaking of new projects, Jamie Buchan, mass transit director at Mowasalat said the company recently introduced a new express bus service, with limited stops.
The service is currently available on two routes — 747, 787 — between Doha International Airport and the central bus terminal in Al Ghanim and between Al Ghanem and the Industrial Area.
The company is also planning circular services connecting different areas of Al Wakra and the Industrial Area.
Work is under way on new projects to build a bigger bus terminal in Al Ghanim and set up satellite stations in Al Khor, Al Wakra and Shahania.
Work on Al Khor bus station has been completed and it is ready for handover, according to the new edition of Masarat, Mowasalat’s magazine. Built over 20,005,95 square metres, the project comprises parking for buses and taxis, drivers’ accommodation, a cafeteria, a workshop, a washing area for buses and taxis and a mosque.
It also includes a clinic, offices, guardhouses, a service building (fire and water tank rooms), a substation, a diesel and petrol station, a vacuum facility and dedicated parking spaces for each building block.
There is a plan to construct a central bus station with a unique, themed elevation in Al Ghanem. The terminal will include bus and taxi pick-up and drop stands, bus and taxi parking spaces, and an eight-storey commercial building.
