In a mammoth operation carried out on September 21 and 22, Mowasalat (Karwa) executed a demo run to test over 2,300 tournament service buses across 80 routes, mirroring the days with the highest ridership during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.


Fahad al-Qahtani
The country witnessed a first-of-its-kind event in which a massive workforce, specially trained for the tournament bus services, went on the road, connecting 25 major depots and operation hubs for Qatar 2022. Among these were Souq Waqif, Fan Zones, West Bay, Umm Besher, Barwa Madinatna and Barahat Al-Janoub.
The objective of this test drive, according to a press statement from Mowasalat (Karwa), was to stress test the road network with a bus volume comparable to the one anticipated for the World Cup. The exercise also tested the efficacy of the last-mile support network as well as the various junctures for pedestrian crossing.



The tests carried out on both days included services to and from the major World Cup stadiums, transportation on the arterial road network within Doha and its environs, as well as airport connectivity services. Testing the connectivity with other more distant depots, including the ones in Al Khor, Mesaimeer and Wadi Abu Saleel, was also an integral part of the whole exercise.



In this massive operation, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Public Works Authority (Ashghal) extended their wholehearted support to Mowasalat (Karwa) by closely collaborating in activities such as the preplanning of the exercise, enforcement of parking restrictions at bus stops for private vehicles, and management of nodes with pedestrian conflict.



Fahad al-Qahtani, CEO of Mowasalat (Karwa), in his commendation statement to the teams involved, said the successful completion of this colossal exercise "is a further testament to our country's readiness in hosting the global event". “Once again, we have certainly demonstrated that not only will the overall Qatar 2022 experience of the visiting fans be unlike anything they have witnessed in the past, it will also be further enhanced by the seamless and efficient transportation support provided by Mowasalat,” he noted.



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