Source: www.thepeninsulaqatar.com
DOHA: Qatari Diar has started work on an underground transport network linking all the major commercial and administrative centres in West Bay.
The Automated People Mover system is part of the Doha Metro project and is scheduled to be completed by 2018, according to Harj Dhaliwal, project director (railways) at Qatari Diar.
Dhaliwal gave a presentation on the project at the UITP (International Association of Public Transport) Middle East and North Africa Qatar seminar held at Grand Regency Hotel on Thursday.
Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines, Dhaliwal said the Automated People Mover was intended to address the traffic congestion in the crowded West Bay and the Corniche area.
The People Mover will function without a driver. The network will start and end at the Doha Sheraton parking area where work is currently going on. The 10km underground network will have 19 stations linking the diplomatic area and all the important commercial, business and administrative centres in West Bay.
The People Mover will operate on a special track named guide way system that is neither a road nor a rail way track. There will be three carriages, one for the public, one for VIPs and another for families and children. Passenger will be able to use the recently-introduced Karwa smart cards to pay the fares for the service.
The underground network will not affect the existing roads in the area since it will follow the same plan of the roads.
“Once completed, the project will drastically reduce the traffic congestions in West Bay. Work will be carried out in a phased manner to minimize the impact on the flow of traffic,” said Dhaliwal.
A presentation by the Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA) focused on future transport scenario in Qatar, particularly in the context of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
