News | Ministry of Transport

Sunday, April 23, 2017

MoTC launches IT training for public sector graduates

DohaTHE Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) has launched IT Talent Program as part of its Qatar Digital Government Training Program. The programme, the first of its kind in Qatar, will provide fresh graduates working with government with a comprehensive foundational knowledge of the most important IT competencies, which will, in turn, support the Qatar Digital Government 2020.The initiative, set to run for eight months, will focus on training more than 30 Qatari graduates with an IT background working in government establishments to develop key skills such as leadership, decision-making, innovation, teamwork, and communications. The programme is being conducted in partnership between the MoTC and HEC Paris, which will deliver the training.The IT Talent Program is part of the Qatar Digital Government Training Program (QDGTP), which is developing the ICT capacity of the public sector in line with the 2020 strategy for the digital transformation of Qatar's government. The QDGTP runs a range of technical courses in partnership with government entities. It has trained around 1,600 IT professionals to date."The ministry launches this new programme to train IT leaders to ensure the implementation of the Qatar Digital Government 2020 Strategy through training national professionals to be available for government entities. The aim is to fill the shortage in manpower in that field," said Reem al Mansoori, assistant undersecretary for Digital Society Development at the MoTC, during the commencement of the first batch. The faculty from HEC Paris selected for the programme will bring a combination of cutting-edge research and practitioner experience and have all delivered highly rated programmes in the GCC region. Participants will benefit from a mixture of learning tools to match their seniority and time constraints with the aim of delivering a high-impact intensive programme.Prof Nils Plambeck, dean and CEO of HEC Paris, said:"This programme provides those working for the public or semi-government sector an opportunity to broaden and further develop their skill-set and outlook on the way in which they approach daily tasks in the workplace. HEC Paris has a wealth of education experience dating back to over 135 years and has an exemplary level of learning tools and academic professors for optimised learning."

Saturday, April 22, 2017

G-Ring Road, a major boon to traffic network, opens

Doha-The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) opened the G-Ring Road –at a total cost of QR 4bn, connecting Hamad International Airport to the Orbital Highway at Industrial Area and beyond.HE the Minister of Transport and Communications, Jassim bin Saif al-Sulaiti, HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment, Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi attended the opening ceremony along with Dr Saad bin Ahmad al-Muhannadi, president Ashghal, Abdulla Hamad al-Attiyah, assistant president, Ashghal and a large number of dignitaries.The opening ceremony was followed by a parade of classic cars and motorcycles passing through the new road. The road also consists of 48 km of pedestrians and cyclists lanes, surrounded by landscaping.The 22 kilometres long road with five lanes on each direction has eight main interchanges connecting the road to various locations in around the area and providing easy access to the Orbital Highway. All the interchanges are expected to be completed and opened by the end of July this year.The interchanges comprise of 29 bridges and 18 underpasses, as well as loops to distribute the traffic movement.The eight interchanges are Al Bahya Interschange, Bu Sella Interchange, Abal Slel Interchange, Al Hafeen Interchange, Jary Mosbeh Interchange, Umm Beshr Interchange, Al Thumama Interchange (50) and Airport Interchange (49).Speaking to Gulf Times, al-Muhannadi said, “This is a very important road as it cuts down the traffic time to Industrial area by at least 50%. It will also relieve the heavy traffic on the Salwa Road. This road provides easy and convenient access for the residents of the area to different parts of the country.”He also explained that the G-Ring Road is an important axis that provides additional transportation options, and is connected with a number of expressways such as the Orbital Highway and Al Wakra Bypass. The G-Ring Road is connected with the opened part of the Orbital Highway, creating a fast, non-stop road with a length of more than 50 km from Hamad International Airport to Dukhan Road via Salwa Road. This will shorten the travel time between Hamad International Airport, Al Wajba, Rayyan, Bani Hajer and Dukhan.According to Ashghal, the G-Ring Road also provides three new vital entrances to the Industrial Area from the South, providing a direct link with Hamad International Airport. It also connects with Hamad Port, Mesaieed, Bu Samra Border, and the Northern areas through its connection with the Orbital Highway, and provides a direct access with the Logistic Village to and from Hamad International Airport.The new road is one of the key axes of Qatar's expressway network. With an uninterrupted traffic flow, it will have a significant positive impact on the traffic movement in the country’s southern areas. It will also contribute to reducing pressure on existing roads in other areas; thus complementing the other axes of the expressway network, of which several parts will be opened to traffic throughout the coming months.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Ministry to Launch School Transport Study to Relieve Traffic Congestion

DOHA, The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) has launched a planning study to develop proposals to reduce the effects of school transport on Doha’s already heavily congested roads.In collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Land Transport Department at the MOTC has developed a questionnaire on school transport that will be sent to the parents of all pupils at every level of education, and at every type of educational institution.The Ministry of Education and Higher Education will use its social networks and distribute the questionnaire to kindergartens and schools on 17 April, and will use SMS to remind parents to provide their feedback the following day. A questionnaire hyperlink will also be available on the websites of the two ministries to encourage the widest possible contribution from the public. The questionnaire can be accessed here: http://www.motc.gov.qa/en/stsThis questionnaire will be vital in updating the Qatar Strategic Transport Model and the feedback received will help to better understand the dynamics of school transportation and its relation to the demographic, social and economic characteristics of the family.Questionnaire answers will be used by the MOTC and bodies concerned to develop planning proposals for short- and long-term solutions and alternatives to encourage the use of bus school transport, thus helping reduce school trip effects on the road network.Traffic on the roads is already dense during peak times, especially on school days, and it is hoped that the study will result in identifying ways in which school transport can be adapted to mitigate its impact on the network, while enhancing school bus services.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Mwani meets Qatar Chamber and food importers for discussions

Officials from Qatar Ports Management Company, Mwani Qatar, met foodstuff importers at the Qatar Chamber’s Trade and Research Committee offices last Thursday, 13 April. The meeting analyzed the latest actions taken by Mwani, increases of import tariffs, and some other issues faced by food importers in Qatar.QC Vice Chairman Mohamed bin Twar, the Head of QC’s Trade and Research Committee Adel Al Mannai, and QC Director General Saleh Al Sharqi were present at the meeting, along with the Director of Doha Port Management Captain Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Yafei and Head of Operations Omar Al Khyyat. Bin Twar praised the efforts exerted by the government to streamline the business environment to overcome all obstacles facing the private sector. He also indicated that an upcoming visit would be organized by the chamber for traders and business owners to visit Hamad Port to inform them on all operations, procedures and workflow inside the port. He paid tribute to the port and its role in opening new horizons for business and facilitating the business environment.Abdulaziz Al Yafei thanked the chamber for hosting the event, assuring that Mwani Qatar is very interested in importers’ suggestions and visions so that it could find appropriate solutions in accordance with its standards. He said there are 56 systems that are in operation to save time and effort during the release of cargo in Hamad Port. He praised the cooperation with Qatar Chamber, General Authority of Customs, shipping lines and all competent bodies. He also mentioned the first marine line between Hamad Port and Shanghai, China, which was launched in January, with a second line to be inaugurated soon. Regarding Mwani tariffs, he said that the list of fees prepared by the port management was based on extensive study, noting that fees ensure flexibility and clarity for all users. He further stated that the installation of generators on containers is imposed according to a request from the Ministry of Health to prevent the growth of salmonella bacteria. Mwani officials and attendees agreed to reduce the generator fuel tank sufficiency specification from 48 continuous working hours to 20 hours.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

20% Rise in Bus Ridership in 2016, Improvements Continue

Doha-Efforts to improve public transport in Doha and the State of Qatar resulted in a 20 percent increase in bus ridership in 2016, according to a statement by the Technical Affairs Department at the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC).The changes, made in close coordination with Mowasalat (Karwa), include route realignments, more frequent services on some routes, enhanced bus facilities and improvements in public transport information and ticketing.Improvements to existing bus services will continue through 2017 with enhancements and new services to and from Hamad International Airport, changes to the West Bay Shuttle bus, improved services between the Industrial Area and Al Ghanim Station, and a new service to the Pearl and Lagoona Mall.In the medium term, the Ministry has commissioned a number of new planning and design studies to improve public transport in Qatar over the next 5 years. These include the development of a new bus network plan to introduce a range of new city services and routes, as well as new feeder routes into the Doha Metro, the design of 18 new bus stations, depots, park and ride sites, and development of an Internet portal and mobile applications for journey planning.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

HE Minister Addresses 12th Airport Council Int’l Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly Conf. & Exhibition

HE Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti today inaugurated the 12th Airport Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly Conference and Exhibition being held in Doha on April 10-12.In his opening speech, HE the Minister said that over the past two decades, Qatar has risen to prominence both regionally and internationally to become an economic, political and cultural powerhouse in the Middle East.He said that nowadays the issue of air connectivity is more relevant than ever because it is closely connected with productivity, economic growth, and international trade. With the global center of economic gravity continuing to shift eastwards, Qatar is ideally geographically situated to provide the bridge between the mature markets and the emerging sources of future wealth.He also noted that work is currently underway to expand the Hamad International Airport, which over the past three years has established itself as a world-class hub, thus facilitating the expansion of our national carrier Qatar Airways that currently connects Doha with more than 150 destinations.HE the Minister said that besides providing the airport infrastructure to boost air connectivity, Qatar has adopted over the years a liberal approach to air service bilateral policy, since it’s our belief that fair competition supports passenger traffic growth, the development of the aviation and tourism sectors. It also contributes to the growth and productivity of the general economy by increased trade, business activity, and greater personal productivity. We are therefore welcoming all initiatives that will further allow airlines to get access to markets around the world giving more schedule and pricing options to the end user, the passengers. And with ACI's projected annual passenger growth of almost 5% in the coming 20 years it is an industry worth looking into and investing, he added.But the global aviation industry is not only opportunities; it faces also significant challenges: an era of economic and political uncertainty, external security threats, congestion in the air and the ground, restrictions to access specific markets, and environmental issues.I would like to expand on is the environmental impact of aviation. All members of the aviation industry should continually strive to improve their environmental performance and actively participate in the aviation's efforts to tackle climate change. Since their inception, both Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport have been committed to caring for the environment, demonstrating environmental responsibility in all their activities and openly communicating their environmental performance to develop the trust on which long-term environmental leadership is built.HE the Minister closed his speech by congratulating ACI for its Airport Carbon Accreditation programme that is a great initiative towards the aviation's efforts for sustainable growth, and to commend Hamad International Airport for becoming the first airport in the GCC to achieve Level 3 "optimization" status in the programme.