Mowasalat (Karwa) will deploy about 4,000 buses to transport fans during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
“We have added over 2,300 buses for the mega sporting event. In general, about 4,000 buses will be deployed including public transit buses,” said Khalid Kafoud, Director of Public Relations and Communications at Mowasalat (Karwa). Speaking to Qatar Radio yesterday, he said Karwa will also operate 800 taxies during the World Cup. “In addition, over 1,300 taxies were launched recently under new ‘Karwa-Fox’ economy service in partnership with Fox Transport.”
He said the service will provide passengers with ease of access to budget-priced transportation through the Karwa Taxi App.
“Following the efforts by Qatar to provide eco-friendly transportation, Mawasalat Karwa has over 850 electric buses which are operating with zero carbon emissions and are noise-free,” said Kafoud.
He said the company has over 1,600 hybrid buses, the latest diesel powered fleet, working with euro-6 engine and using RW technology to remove negative effects caused by smoke of vehicles. Regarding electric charging station, he said: “All electric bus charging stations are working with full capacity. Fast charging stations have also been installed at various places across the country.”
He said this will make Qatar the first FIFA World Cup host using this high number of electric buses and electric and hybrid taxies to reduce the carbon emissions drastically during the tournament.
“The public transport fleet which will be used during the World Cup will leave a legacy for sustainable transportation system of Qatar,” said Kafoud.
He said Mowasalat (Karwa) has been preparing for years for the World Cup with an action plan for providing buses, drivers and training programmes among others.
On September 21 and 22, the company executed a demo run to test over 2,300 tournament service buses across 80 routes, mirroring the days with the highest ridership during the World Cup.
“The test aimed at evaluating the readiness of workforce, operation capacity of the fleet. Simulation of ferrying fans from accommodation to stadiums took place during the test run of the buses.”
Expecting huge number of fans during the World Cup, he said road networks including metro stations and airports were tested to ensure the readiness for the event. “We have launched an addition of 90 new electric buses to the Metrolink fleet to cater to the needs of residential areas,” said Kafoud.
He said these buses according to their size are very suitable for residential areas. “They are fully electric, eco-friendly with zero carbon emissions, ensuring seamless operation because of being almost noise-free. These buses will come into operation from October 1,” the official said.
