Doha: As part of its relentless endeavour to provide all facilities during the World Cup, Qatar has implemented an advanced network to facilitate movement and transportation and provide safe, smooth, and easy-to-reach transportation services for all fans and all groups participating in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and its accompanying events.
The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has completed the implementation of a network of highways and main streets that facilitate access to all World Cup stadiums, training and accommodation venues for the tournament, in addition to the most important vital places in the country, fans' gathering areas and metro stations, where 207 bridges and nearly 100 intersections and 143 tunnels were built, the most prominent of these roads are Al Majd, Al Khor, Lusail, G-Ring Road, and Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor.
Ashghal has also implemented 1,180 directional panels to facilitate access to stadiums and many facilities related to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and the roads are monitored through Ashghal's Road Network Control Center in coordination with the tournament's control room.
More than 6 million square meters of parking spaces have been implemented to service the championship buses and utility vehicles (Park & Ride) and (Park & Walk) to support mobility during the World Cup. With the aim of developing the lifestyle into a healthier lifestyle, Ashghal has established 2,131 kilometers of pedestrian and bicycle paths on the highways in the country and connected to all the hosting stadiums, in addition to the construction of more than 16 bridges and five pedestrian tunnels.
The Qatar Railways Company (Rail) has also completed its preparations to receive fans of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, as the Doha Metro consists of three lines (red, gold, and green), and there will be a direct connection with five World Cup stadiums, while the other three stadiums will be allocated buses to transport fans to it.
The metro network includes 37 stations, and a fleet of 110 trains and 18 trams, with working hours from 6:00 AM until 3:00 AM (Saturday to Thursday) and from 9:00 AM until 3:00 AM (on Fridays), the time between one train and another will be reduced from five minutes to every 165/second, which is equivalent to two and a half minutes to three minutes, during which a train will be present on all lines, allowing for an increase and doubling of the capacity of the three metro lines.
The Park & Ride service will be available in 13 stations, in addition to the availability of 18,200 parking spaces, and the Doha Metro is expected to transport 30 to 50 percent of fans heading to the stadiums. Hayya card holders and stadium ticket holders will be able to travel by metro and tram free of charge during the tournament from Nov. 10 to Dec. 23. As for non-Hayya card holders, trip cards and weekly tickets will be available at all stations.
In turn, the Mowasalat Company (Karwa) announced the operation of more than 2,300 buses operating throughout the day and distributed on more than 80 roads (tracks). The championship buses provide rapid transport service from metro stations, and Park & Ride service, the rapid transfer service for stadiums between five bus complexes (Souk Waqif, Fan Festival sites, West Bay, Umm Bishr, Barwa Madinatna, and Barwa Barahat Al Janoub) and the eight stadiums, in addition to transportation services to and from accommodation and transportation to and from Hamad International Airport (HIA) and Doha International Airport.
A total of 3,000 taxis (Karwa), 11,500 cars through the Uber application, and 3,500 cars through the Careem application will be ready to serve the fans of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and will be stationed at HIA, Doha Airport and some vital places in state like Ashghal Towers, Al Bida Metro Station, Qatar Sports Club, Souq Waqif, Museum of Islamic Art Park and floating hotels.
Considering the traffic movement plan that is currently being tested on Fridays from three to eight in the evening until Oct. 28, vehicles with public transport and private (black) transport plates will be diverted away from the central area of Doha. It is scheduled to apply this system during the World Cup every day, and people who only own one car, in addition to public transport vehicles and emergency services vehicles, are excluded from this procedure.
Corniche Street will be designated for pedestrians from Nov. 1 to Dec. 19, in preparation for hosting a variety of activities for the tournament fans. Vehicles will be diverted away from the Corniche to provide a safe environment for pedestrians crossing in the Corniche area, the pier or other streets on the Corniche Road, and diversions will be made from the intersections of Ras Bu Aboud, Sheraton, Mina, Sword Arch, Al Diwan, Al Marmar, Al Maha and Barzan.
Tournament organizers have recommended that residents of Qatar use their own vehicles to reach the tournament sites, whenever possible, while inviting visitors to the country during the tournament to use the Doha Metro and public buses, as direct bus services will be operated to stadiums from five locations across Doha, and main accommodation.
The organizers also recommended that fans use public transportation to attend the Corniche events or the FIFA Fan Festival, which will be held in Al Bidda Park, where dedicated bus services will be operated to enable fans to move between entertainment sites.
Transportation services for people with disabilities will be available in all means of transportation, including taxis, buses, designated car parks near stadiums and event venues, as well as the Doha metro network.
