* Supervisory Committee for Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar signs MoU with Qatar Cyclists Centre
* Services that will be provided for the fast cycling track on Al Khor Road include electric bike parking spaces, first aid and use of motorcycles to provide emergency assistance, among others
* Ashghal to provide a network of cycling and pedestrian paths across 2,650km by 2022
The Supervisory Committee for Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar at the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Qatar Cyclists Centre at the Ministry of Culture and Sports to provide a host of services for the fast cycling track on Al Khor Road.
These services include electric bike parking spaces, first aid and use of motorcycles to provide emergency assistance, among others, according to a press statement by Ashghal.
The signing ceremony was attended by Yousef al-Emadi, director of Projects Affairs at Ashghal; Dr Abdulaziz Jaham al-Kuwari, president of Qatar Cyclists Centre; Mohamed Arqoub al-Khaldi, chairman of the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places; Abdel Fattah al-Saadi, member of the board of directors at Qatar Cyclists Centre; Abdulla al-Hammadi, member of Qatar Cyclists Centre; and Ali bin Towar al-Kuwari, Media Committee in-charge at Qatar Cyclists Centre.
On the occasion, al-Emadi said the MoU signed with the Qatar Cyclists Centre is aimed at educating the community and spreading the culture of cycling, in addition to using cycling as a safe and healthy means of transportation. He stressed that Ashghal seeks to create infrastructure that contributes to enhancing a culture of sports among all segments of the society through the provision of necessary facilities.
Ashghal is all set to provide a network of cycling and pedestrian paths across 2,650km by 2022, he added.
Al-Khaldi said the fast track for cyclists has been constructed and opened to the public. The 33km-long track allows speeds of up to 50km/h.
Dr Abdulaziz Jaham al-Kuwari praised the efforts made to provide a secure and connected network for cyclists. He stressed the importance of co-operation between various entities in the country in order to promote a healthy lifestyle and physical exercise.
"We seek to encourage all family members to use the fast track. The facilities include provision of first aid to those who are on the track as well as logistics services using motorcycles to provide emergency assistance," he said.
The MoU's scope also include the organisation of events in co-operation with Ashghal, including safety campaigns, first-aid training for emergencies and awareness sessions to educate riders on the correct and safe riding methods through cycle tracks.
Following the signing of the MoU, al-Saadi said: "We hope this agreement will contribute to encouraging all segments of the society to practise sport on a regular basis."
Al-Hammadi said through the agreement, first aid will be provided to the fast track users and assistance will be given during emergencies using motorcycles.
Ali bin Towar al-Kuwari added, "We are pleased to sign the agreement, which will help provide services to users of the fast cycling track on Al Khor Road."
The Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar works in co-ordination with several ministries and other entities, such as the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Culture and Sports, Qatar Museums, Qatar Rail and Private Engineering Office, among others. It is responsible for five major tasks: construction of central public parks, provision of dedicated tracks for pedestrians and bicycles, development of Doha Corniche, development of Central Doha and increasing afforestation and green areas.
