MoT finalises Qatar Freight Master Plan

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has finalised the Qatar Freight Master Plan (QFMP), it was announced Sunday.HE the Minister of Transport Jassim Saif Ahmed al-Sulaiti said in a statement that the plan will support the objectives of Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy (2024-2030)."It will meet the requirements of economic diversification clusters for logistics and shipping services, which are among the most important outcomes on the strategy’s priorities through developing land freight operations in a way that enhances Qatar’s position as a global hub for shipping, transportation and logistics services among the top 15 countries in the world in the Logistics Performance Index," he said.The QFMP is creating an intermodal, integrated and effective ground freight system to support the continuous national economic development requirements and provide strategic ground freight solutions that are both efficient and competitive.This is in addition to achieving integration with air and sea freight transportation sectors and supporting supply chains.This, HE al-Sulaiti added, helps enhance the economic diversification plans and the economic and environmentally sustainable solutions and supports the competitive advantages on regional and global trade by connecting companies, products, services and individuals.The QFMP aims to reinforce and develop the infrastructures to advance Qatar’s land freight transportation industry within an integrated transportation system that takes this industry to the best international standards and practices.It also aims to develop national policies and plans to enhance the safety and security of land freight, increase its efficiency and keep pace with the latest sustainability and innovation standards in a way that increases the country’s competitiveness for attracting the movement of supply chains and trade lines and enhances the cycle of the growing economic production and meets the national requirements to achieving sustainable development and, therefore, the Qatar National Vision 2030.The QFMP features policies, regulations and standards that serve the future of the ground freight system and its associated activities in terms of shipping modes and work hours.For that, the QFMP includes several national policies that support the land freight sector, and proposals for many schemes and projects through 2050, which include projects aimed at developing freight ground shipping networks, facilities and modes as well as governance laws and frameworks for the operations and technologies of shipping and hazardous cargo.The plan covers freight routes in Qatar, whether designated or shared, aimed at reducing the impact of truck movement on traffic flow.The QFMP also provides a guide for designing freight routes and developing a GIS (geographic information system) portal that supports surveys and data on the plan’s outputs.MoT acting assistant undersecretary for Land Transport Affairs, engineer Hamad Essa Abdulla, said that the QFMP contributes to meeting the growing demand for goods and services in Qatar, safely and reliably."This is in addition to enhancing economic diversification over the next 30 years to ensure reinforcing Qatar’s position as one of the world’s most sustainable countries in terms of providing innovative transportation solutions that support the national economy and serve as a legacy for rising and future generations," he said.