File picture of electric buses used for representation
Doha: For realising country’s plans towards adopting environmentally-friendly transport system, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has recently announced tender for electric buses.
The tender, also has been shared on Ministry’s social media accounts, is for supply and maintenance of Electric Bus Rapid Transit Vehicles. The announcement of said tender reflects advancement of Ministry’s efforts and plans towards adopting eco-friendly transport mode.
Few weeks ago, the Ministry of Transport and Communications had announced that 25 percent of public transport buses in Qatar will be electric by 2022.
The Ministry had announced that public buses, public-schools’ buses, and Doha Metro feeder buses will be gradually transformed into electric buses, in order to achieve the required percentage to reduce the rate of carbon emissions caused by traditional buses by 2030, in addition to achieving concerted efforts to preserve environmental sustainability.
The Ministry had also announced earlier that the electric buses will be used in the main services during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, to be the first tournament to use electric mass transit buses, clearly demonstrating the commitment of the State of Qatar to clean energy solutions for transportation in the world, and supporting the direction of hosting an exceptional world cup tournament that is environmentally friendly and “carbon neutral”.
It is pertinent to mention that the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) had conducted a pilot testing of electric buses in Qatar in collaboration with Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa), Mowasalat (Karwa) and China Harbor Engineering Co in 2018.
The MoTC works on providing an integrated, multi-modal and world-class transportation system that provides safe and reliable services in line with the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030. It also works on developing transport modes in accordance with the best worldwide eco-friendly systems, in addition to using alternative and clean energy in the field for lower carbon emissions.
To facilitate adoption of sustainable transport mode by encouraging electric vehicles (buses, cars) in the country, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are being setup across the country.
Recently, Kahramaa, through its National Programme for Conservation and Energy Efficiency (Tarsheed), signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company (Qatari Diar) to set up 10 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Lusail City.
The MoTC also signed, this month, two MoUs with Nasser Bin Khaled & Sons Holding Co and Q-Auto for providing free electric vehicle chargers. Kahramaa had said last year that it was planning to set up 400 electric vehicle charging stations by the end of 2022 to encourage the use of electric and hybrid vehicles in Qatar.
