More requests are being made by the country’s residents for better bus connectivity to the newly opened Hamad International Airport (HIA) from different areas in and around Doha.

Following demands from the residents of the densely populated Industrial Area for buses to the new airport, residents of other city locations too have sought public transport to HIA, especially in the evenings when there are more flight arrivals and departures.

Those who spoke on the issue to this newspaper over the past few days said the centralised operations of all airport-bound services from Doha Bus Station (DBS) at Bin Ghanem is of not much use to passengers wishing to travel to the airport as one has to reach the DBS first for catching onward buses to the airport.

Some of the regular passengers to the airport said it would be convenient for residents if some of the buses are operated from the bus station through Najma, Gulf Cinema Signal, Mall Roundabout, Mathar Qadeem, Airport Road and Barwa Village to reach the new airport.

They felt it could be achieved either by extending No11 service currently operating to Mathar Qadeem or operating new buses at one-hour intervals through the same route.

Also, many of those who work at the airport commute by bus. They said they cannot afford huge taxi fares on a daily basis to travel to and from their workplace and it would be convenient for them if airport buses are operated through the above-mentioned areas.

Similarly, many expatriates residing in workers’ accommodations in such locations as Umm Salal Ali and Umm Salal Mohamed have also called upon the transport authorities to introduce buses to the new airport from their localities.

In recent years there has been a surge in the number of workers’ camps in the township, which is more than 25km from Doha.

Shafeeq, a resident in the area, said if services are operated directly through the Shamal-Doha Expressway in the evenings until the Mall Roundabout and further travel to the airport are facilitated through E-Ring Road, Airport Road and Barwa Village, more people could make use of the services to reach places along the new airport as well, especially in the weekends, when there are more travellers than usual.

Likewise, demands for direct bus operations to the HIA from Al Khor are also sought by the residents of the northern town.

Mowasalat, popularly known as the “The Transport Company”, provides land transport services and solutions in Qatar by operating  the Karwa brand of buses and taxis. Mowasalat also provides the franchise for other transport service providers to operate in the country.