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

The country witnessed a first-of-its-kind event, where a massive workforce, specially trained for the tournament bus services, went on the road, connecting 25 major depots and operation hubs for Qatar 2022, including areas like Souq Waqif, the Fan Zones, West Bay, Umm Besher, Barwa Madinatna and Barahat Al-Janoub.

The objective of the test drive 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 World Cup stadiums, transportation on the arterial road network within Doha and surrounding areas, 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 Ashghal also extended their support to Mowasalat (Karwa) by closely collaborating in activities such as the pre-planning of the exercise, enforcement of parking restrictions at bus stops for private vehicles and management of nodes with pedestrian conflict.

Mowasalat (Karwa) CEO Fahad Al Qahtani, in his commendation statement to the teams involved, said that the successful completion of the colossal exercise is a further testament to the country’s readiness to host the global event.

Once again, we have certainly demonstrated that not only will the overall Qatar2022 experience of the visiting fans be unlike anything they have witnessed in the past, (but) it will also be further enhanced by the seamless and efficient transportation support provided by Mowasalat.


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