Doha: The first phase of the project to set up 2600 bus stops is expected to be complete by October 2022, according to the public transit operation plan during and after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. These projects are part of the Public Bus Infrastructure Program the Ministry is developing in cooperation with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal).
Mowasalat (Karwa) will fully operate 8 bus stations equipped with electric charging equipment in Al-Sudan, the Industrial Area, Al-Wakra, the Education City, Lusail, Gharrafa and Msheireb, starting gradually from May. The West Bay Central Bus Station will start operation in November 2022.
Hamad Port has received 130 electric buses; the last batch of a total of 741 units Qatar ordered for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
arwa has already begun electrifying public transit routes. Currently, Route 76 is already in full operation. Moreover, all alternative transportation services for the Gold Line and Red Line of Doha Metro were run with electric buses. In 2023 and beyond, electric buses will be used on 44 metrolink routes and 48 public transit routes.
Karwa is also receiving 4 bus depots in Q3 of 2022, equipped with all service and living facilities for the staff, in addition to supplying and installing over 600 electric bus charging devices at bus stations and depots, as well as at metro stations and other locations within the approved routes of electric buses that serve public transportation operations and the fans of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and they will be finalized in Q3 of 2022.
On this occasion, Minister of Transport HE Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti said that the arrival of the final batch of e-buses and revealing the bus stations and depots operation timelines is a major step backing the strategy of transitioning to electric vehicles, noting that all the facilities of the Program have been equipped with the infrastructure necessary for operating e-buses. These accomplishments, he added, will support the objectives of the Public Bus Infrastructure Program by providing an integrated and sustainable public transportation network that covers all urban areas and forms a coherent transportation unit that includes public transit buses, the Doha Metro and the Lusail Tram. These accomplishments are especially important as they will concur with the events of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, he said.
