"In 2022 everyone will see an integrated public transport system in the country," Says Minister

Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti touring Transport Engineering Conference and Exhibition at The Ritz-Carlton

Qatar will have an integrated public transport system, first of its kind in the Middle East, in 2022. As much as 30 percent mode of transportation in the country will become environmentally-friendly to cut carbon foot print.

“In 2022 everyone will see an integrated public transport system in the country, with applications and an integrated linkage system for access destinations that could be the first of its kind in the Middle East if not in the world. The plans of the transportation sector linked to Qatar National Vision 2030 do not stop at a certain limit,” said Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti.

This came in a statement by the Minister on the sidelines of a three-day Transport Engineering Conference and Exhibition, which started in Doha yesterday. 

Organised by the Qatar Society of Engineers under the patronage of the Ministry of Transport and Communication (MoTC), the Transport Engineering Conference and Exhibition is the first of its kind, as it is characterised by its comprehensiveness in discussing the three recognised branches of transportation (land, air, and sea). 

The Minister said that the conference and the accompanying exhibition represent a great opportunity to present what has been accomplished, whether before or after 2022 in the transportation sector.

He pointed out that the transportation sector is linked to the Qatar National Vision 2030, saying that a very large part would be implemented before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and a large part will also be implemented from the beginning of 2023. 

The Minister stressed that there is always a clear vision of  Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and a clear vision of the strategies of MoTC to build an advanced transportation system that emulates the most advanced countries.

In addition to an integrated public transportation system, 30 percent of transportation in Qatar will become environmentally friendly.

The Minister noted that public transportation does not mean only passengers, but also goods, supplies, and other means of transportation from ‘bicycles to planes’, stressing that Qatar’s future in this sector is prosperous and constantly developing.

Regarding the Hamad International Airport expansion project, he said the ministry is committed to the date set by the Steering Committee in the second quarter of 2022, and it is working in full swing to complete this project on time so that the airport will be almost ready on or before this date.

The Minister added that Qatar will have two airports ready to receive any increased number of visitors arriving in the country, stressing that the ability of the State of Qatar to host the FIFA World Cup event will amaze the world.

The Minister of Transport and Communications inaugurated the specialised exhibition accompanying the conference. During a tour of pavilions at the exhibition, he was briefed on the quality of participation in the various sectors of transportation. 

The exhibition allows the participating public and private agencies to display their products, engineering solutions, and innovations in this field. The Minister also honoured the sponsors of the conference. 

The Minister stressed the importance of this conference and the accompanying exhibition in capacity-building, strengthening cooperation and exchanging ideas between all the participating parties or those associated with transportation, whether from MoTC or the Qatar Society of Engineers, as well as the supporting bodies and those operating in the Qatari market, pointing out that the process of linking all these people with one system and idea, will allow them to see the developments in the transportation sector. Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Society for Engineers Eng. Khalid bin Ahmed Al Nasr said that the Transport Engineering Conference and Exhibition is the first of its kind organised by the Society in the State of Qatar, and it will address the three main axes of the land, sea and air transportation sector and engineering. 

He explained that in the land field, the conference will address issues related to infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, tunnels, the rail network, trams, and highways, while in the maritime sector, the conference will highlight ports, and the latest methods of customs clearance and organizing the storage of goods in the ports. 

As for the axis of air transport, the conference will address the subject of airports, recreational areas associated with them, types of aircraft and everything new in the field of aviation, in addition to other findings in the three areas, as well as topics that highlight the transportation engineering techniques, he added. 

He said that about 25 papers will be tabled during three-day conference and 24 parties are participating in the accompanying exhibition.

SOURCE: QNA