Public transportation
Initiative description: Facilitating fan use of the Doha Metro, Lusail Tram, buses and other sources of mass transport during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, through initiatives such as free public transport access with a Hayya Card, which included a journey planner.
Access to public transport
Qatar’s mass public transport system helped thousands of fans travel seamlessly between stadiums, hotels and tourist attractions during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. This system, which comprises the Doha Metro, trams and bus services, offered fans and workforce environmentally friendly transport options.
To encourage spectators to use public transport during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, all ticket holders were provided free travel throughout the tournament using the Hayya Card (Fan ID app for the tournament). The Hayya Card was an essential part of the fan experience, acting as an entry permit to Qatar, providing access to the stadiums along with a ticket, and free access to public transport between 10 November and 23 December 2022.
Information regarding public transport was communicated via the FIFA Fan Guide as well as the Hayya Card app. In addition, all ticket holders were sent an email one day before each match, encouraging the use of (free) public transport. The Hayya Card app also provided fans with a journey planning feature where they could access all public transport options, routes, and timings to properly plan their journey. A detailed map of public transportation routes and times during the tournament can be accessed here.
Doha Metro
The Doha Metro connected to all eight FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ stadiums, all major accommodation clusters and all major entertainment venues. Five of the eight stadiums were directly served by metro stations, while connecting buses served the rest from nearby stations.
Match Day stadium services from five transport hubs, four Park and Rides and three metro stations were provided 4 hours before Match kick-off and 1.5 hours after the final whistle.
All the 37 Doha Metro stations were designed and built to meet accessibility requirements and green building certification. Doha Metro’s accessibility features include level access boarding, dedicated seating for people with limited mobility, spaces for wheelchair users, and tactile directional paving inside the stations for blind and partially sighted people.
Hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ was a catalyst for the timely finalisation of the Doha Metro. Going forward, the metro will continue to serve the community with expected growth in ridership and the continued avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions as it helps to reduce car reliance in Qatar.
Tram services
Qatar’s tram services also played a major role in the efficient transport of passengers throughout the tournament. The three tram systems are Lusail Tram, Education City Tram, and Msheireb Tram, all of which connect to the metro.
The Lusail Tram recorded a total ridership of almost 780,000 passenger journeys between 20th November 2022 and 18th December 2022. The busiest day of the tram was 18th December 2022 corresponding to National Day, and the final match of the tournament when more than 33,000 passenger journeys were recorded.
In addition, Education City Tram recorded a total ridership of some 150,800 passengers, while Msheireb Tram transported over 27,600 passengers.
Public buses
Tournament organisers worked with relevant ministries on a joint programme to boost Qatar’s public bus infrastructure ahead of the tournament. This also incorporated key legacy objectives such as expansion of the country’s electric-bus network.
A fleet of approximately 3,000 buses, including around 700 electric buses, were used to shuttle passengers to and from key locations, including:
Between stadiums and five transport hubs, four Park and Rides, three metro stations;
Stadium-to-stadium;
Between three fan accommodation sites and their closest metro stations;
Between Central Doha Park and Ride and FIFA Fan Festival™;
Throughout Central Doha;
Between Abu Samra land border and Al Messila metro station; and
Between Hamad International Airport and various key locations.
These shuttle services provided transportation at frequencies ranging between 5 and 15 minutes during peak times.
It is estimated that tournament bus services transported almost 6 million passengers during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
For more information about efficient transport during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and beyond, please visit the low-emission vehicles and adaptable, efficient transport solutions web pages of this report.