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Friday, January 30, 2026 | Daily Newspaper published by GPPC Doha, Qatar.

Tag Results for "highways" (2 articles)

The introduction of the metro service has reflected positively on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and made their mobility easier, more convenient and cheaper, especially with the free Metrolink services that effectively cover most areas in Doha and parts of Al Wakra and Al Rayyan, among others.
Qatar

Safe, easy, quick and comfortable: Main features of transportation within Qatar

Moving around in Doha and across Qatar in general has become safe, quick, and cost-efficient, as the country has been considered one of the safest in terms of roads and traffic, with the number of serious injuries and fatalities steadily decreasing over the past few years.While the country maintains strict traffic laws and regulations, motorists enjoy one of the most sophisticated road networks in the region, with efficient highways and easy-flowing traffic circulation, as there are over 9,000km of motorways with around 450km of highways, implementing the highest world safety standards with integrated traffic and security surveillance systems. Accordingly, most of the recently registered road accidents resulted in no injuries or only minor injuries, with a considerable number causing only vehicle damage.**media[410780]**Besides, pedestrian safety is a top priority in the country, with smart traffic signs and dedicated pedestrian crossings on all major roads across the country's cities. Further, during major events, popular activities, weekends, and public holidays, traffic police personnel and patrols are deployed across the areas of usual public turnout, such as the popular souqs (markets), Doha Corniche, Souq Waqif and other key areas, to regulate the movement of people and enhance their safety. In the meantime, the road network is integrated with various safe pedestrian crossings in all key areas, including pedestrian-friendly and well-equipped modern pedestrian tunnels and flyovers.The introduction of the metro service before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has reflected positively on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and made their mobility easier, more convenient and cheaper, especially with the free Metrolink services that effectively cover most areas in Doha and some parts of Al Wakra and Al Rayyan, among others.**media[410782]**"One of the things I love most about Qatar is that it is very easy and cost-effective to move around the country with multiple options of means of transport. You can even get a taxi ride for less than QR10, and it is quick, easy and comfortable," a journalist from one of the neighbouring countries stressed, as he frequently visits Doha.He recalled that, many years before the Metro entered service and the smart taxi application was not yet available, moving around in Doha was very slow, expensive, and exhausting. "It used to take hours waiting for a taxi or getting public bus services, and road congestion used to be the norm rather than the exception," he recalled his experience more than 15 years ago.However, he noted that compared to many countries in the region known for their sophisticated roads and transportation systems, Qatar can be ranked among the best in all respects, making it attractive for tourism, business and all aspects of life.In the meantime, the various means of transport in the country are easily and safely accessible to people with special needs, enabling them to exercise their right to move.Accordingly, all Doha Metro stations and the Lusail Tram network are easily accessible to people with special needs, with level-boarding platforms, wheelchair spaces, tactile paving for people with visual limitations, and dedicated seating and family areas. Mowasalat (Karwa) buses are equipped with wheelchair ramps and designated spaces, and Metrolink buses are equipped with the same. Further, people with disabilities can easily book a well-equipped taxi at a very reasonable fare.The development of road networks and the transport sector is set to continue with the Qatar Transport Master Plan for Qatar 2050 (TMPQ 2050), launched in 2022, which entails various ambitious objectives, such as making Qatar’s transport sector ready for population and tourism growth and business diversification. 

A general view of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway pictured in New Delhi (file). India’s push mirrors efforts by other major economies to overhaul transport infrastructure and reduce logistics cost.
International

India plans $125bn push to boost high-speed road network

India plans to expand its high-speed road network fivefold within a decade, investing 11tn rupees ($125bn) to modernise infrastructure and slash logistics costs, people familiar with the matter said.The country will add 17,000 kilometres (10,563 miles) of access-controlled roads that allow motorists to travel at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour, offering faster, safer and more efficient connectivity than conventional highways, said the people, who asked not to be identified citing rules.Roughly 40% of the proposed network is already under construction and slated for completion before 2030, while work on the remaining corridors is expected to begin by 2028 and wrap up by 2033, the people said.India’s push mirrors efforts by other major economies to overhaul transport infrastructure and reduce logistics cost. China has built more than 180,000 kilometres of expressways since the 1990s, while the US maintains over 75,000 kilometres of interstate highways.As of March this year, India’s national highway network covered more than 146,000 kilometres, but only 4,500 kilometres meet high-speed standards, the people said.The Indian government wants to reduce logistics costs from 13% to 14% of the gross domestic product to about 8%, in line with global standards, consultancy Rubix Data Sciences Pvt said in a report last year. Although India’s expressway plan is relatively small in scale, it stands out for its ambitious timeline and reliance on a hybrid financing model to attract private capital.Projects offering returns of 15% or more will be bid out under the build-operate-transfer, or BOT, model, allowing private firms to recover costs through tolls, the people said. Those with lower projected returns will follow the Hybrid Annuity Model, under which the government covers 40% of construction costs upfront, they said.Most of the projects in various stages of construction are under the hybrid annuity model, but the government now hopes to see more private sector participation for the rest, the people said. Private interest in India’s road sector has been tepid in recent years.India’s Ministry for Road Transport and Highways and the government’s Press Information Bureau didn’t immediately respond to requests for comments.The country’s highway network is undergoing an upgrade led by the state-run National Highways Authority of India, which spent a record 2.5tn rupees on construction in the fiscal year ended March, up 21% from a year ago.For the year ending March 2026, the government has increased the budgeted allocation to 2.9tn rupees for roads and highways.Although interest in India’s roads sector has been uneven, the broader infrastructure space is drawing strong investor attention.Brookfield Asset Management Ltd, Blackstone Inc, Macquarie Group Ltd, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board have all committed capital, while the Adani Group has announced plans to invest $18.4bn across infrastructure, including roads.The country could attract hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure investment over the next three years, driven by policy support, rising demand, and the scale of planned projects, according to Deloitte India estimates.