Adaptable, efficient transport solutions
Initiative description: Identifying and implementing creative temporary solutions to address the short-term spike in demand for transport during staging of the tournament.
With thousands of people temporarily residing in Qatar for the tournament, it was important that unnecessary travel was reduced or eliminated, and that there were sufficient transport options available to meet the projected tournament-time travel demand, without creating infrastructure that could not be used in legacy.
To achieve this, tournament organisers developed a transport plan in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and other key stakeholders, to supplement the existing metro, tram and bus networks. This included expanding the bus fleet, creating tournament-time bus routes, actively managing travel demand, and providing micro-mobility transport options.
Expansion of transport assets and their use
Tournament organisers worked with relevant ministries on a joint programme to boost Qatar’s public bus infrastructure ahead of the tournament. This incorporated key legacy items, such as the expansion of the country’s electric-bus network.
A fleet of approximately 3,000 buses, including around 900 electric buses, were used for tournament bus services to shuttle passengers between stadiums, around central Doha, to and from the airport as well as between:
Five transport hubs, four Park and Rides, three metro stations and stadiums;
Three fan accommodation sites and closest metro stations;
Central Doha Park and Ride and FIFA Fan Festival™; and
Abu Samra land border and Al Messila metro station.
These shuttle services operated every 5 and 15 minutes during peak times.
At the time of writing this report, a legacy plan for buses was being developed by the Qatar government. The new bus fleet procured for tournament bus services is likely to be transferred to the local public bus and taxi services operator as part of its fleet renewal and electrification plans.
During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Doha Metro trains were amongst the busiest in the world. According to information provided by Qatar Rail, Doha Metro operated 104 trains at increased frequency during peak times, while the remaining trains were on ‘standby’ to be deployed if needed. The metro ran extended operating hours up to 21 hours a day to cater for the maximum number of spectator, workforce and volunteer journeys. With 17 million journeys on the metro during the tournament period, and transporting an average of 600,000 people per day, the metro recorded a 300% increase in the number of passengers from pre-event levels.
Expansion of airport services
To accommodate the greatly increased passenger demand, in addition to Hamad International Airport, Doha International Airport was temporarily open for commercial flights with a daily capacity of 32,000 arriving and 32,000 departing passengers.
During Doha Metro night closure times, the Central Doha Express service between Hamad International Airport and Souq Waqif was created for the period of 20 November – 19 December 2022. Where needed, passenger overflow areas of Qatar airports accepted passengers arriving on early morning flights with late hotel check-in times.
Travel demand management
To reduce the number of vehicles on the roads, school holidays were re-scheduled to coincide with the tournament with a portion of school buses used to supplement tournament transport services. This was coordinated between the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and schools to ensure there was no impact on the quality of education and the delivery of the school curriculum.
Strategic temporary road closures, such as the Corniche and Doha port area, promoted the use of public transport solutions to reach key tournament time attractions.
In addition, visitors as well as residents were encouraged to use transportation efficiently. This included offering free public transportation for Hayya Card holders and workforce accreditations, and advising residents about the best form of transport on certain days (e.g. use of public transport to access central Doha). Social media and SMS messages were used to communicate travel advice to visitors and residents, including infographics and maps to make messaging easier to understand.
Other options
Alternative ‘micro mobility’ transportation options such as e-scooters, e-bikes, and conventional bicycles, were available for hire throughout Qatar. Around pedestrianised areas, however, which included stadiums and central Doha, micro-mobility transportation options were not available in order to minimise congestion with crowds and ensure the safety of pedestrians.
Areas that were pedestrianised during the tournament such as the Corniche and connecting roads, enabled people to walk freely and safely to and from various key locations around Doha.
Taxi and rideshare services across Qatar were also optimised to further enhance transport solutions during the tournament. This included the prioritisation of taxis to service key demand areas such as airport pick-up. In addition, taxi and rideshare companies expanded their capacity considerably.
For more information about efficient transport solutions for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, please visit the public transportation and low-emission vehicles web pages of this report.