Doha, April 13 (QNA) - The Ministry of Transport has started developing the Qatar Public Transport Master Plan (QPTMP) aimed at creating a more efficient and competitive public transportation system and striking a balance between Qatar’s rapid urban growth and its commitment to sustainability, leading ultimately to a more efficient and future-ready public transit system.

The ministry said in a statement on Sunday that the QPTMP also aims at improving accessibility and coverage, raising service reliability, and exploring innovative mobility solutions that keep pace with latest advancements.

Bypassing conventional frameworks, the QPTMP will strategically guide the evolution of the transit system to address challenges associated with escalating vehicular dependency, congestion, and environmental impact. The QPTMP will study the status quo of traffic congestion of both private vehicles and public transportation and carbon emissions and their impact on Qatar’s climate quality with a view to suggesting suitable solutions.

Leveraging advanced and efficient public transportation solutions, and sustainable and ecofriendly infrastructure is among QPTMP’s top priorities through providing advanced electric transportation systems to help lower carbon footprint and, consequently, improve Qatar’s climate quality in step with the Qatar National Vision 2030’s pillar of environmental development, in addition to serving a diverse audience, including policymakers, government officials, developers, investors, consultants, engineers, and planners by equipping those stakeholders with actionable frameworks and guidelines for effective planning, design, implementation, and operation of public transit services.

The QPTMP will also encompass prescriptive policies, laws and regulations, accompanied by a robust monitoring program for integrated and comprehensive solutions through harnessing innovation to meet the growing needs for a coherent, advanced, and sustainable national public transportation system. This aligns with the ministry’s endeavor to achieve the goals of the National Development Strategy and QNV 2030.

The QPTMP is poised to serve as a bedrock of a future where public transportation could significantly contribute to generating economic, social, human, and environmental opportunities, and enhancing resilience and progress for all who live and thrive in Qatar.

The QPTMP's ripple effects will have far-reaching societal and environmental benefits, supporting healthier lifestyles, fostering economic vitality, and mitigating the ecological footprint of urban expansion through reducing carbon emissions utilizing smarter transit solutions and rubber-stamping Qatar’s commitment to sustainability.

The ministry believes in the importance of society’s participation and pays great attention to fulfilling their aspirations in the QPTMP to provide solutions that meet their needs. For that, the ministry will be conducting public surveys to gather data on people’s mobility preferences and opinions on public transportation modes. The surveys will be conducted from April to August 2025 at metro, tram and bus stations, public markets, and shopping malls.

The Ministry of Transport invited the public to cooperate with its survey teams and take a few minutes to answer the survey to ensure the accuracy of the data gathered and help reach a better understanding of people’s needs in this respect. All the data gathered will be treated with full privacy and confidentiality and used exclusively for the purposes of the survey. (QNA)