File picture used for representation
Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s land transport sector transactions has witnessed remarkable growth in the first nine months of this year. The Ministry of Transport (MoT) completed 9,238 transactions through the Land Transport Sector in the first three quarters of 2024.
There were over 3,400 transactions processed through the land transport sector in the third quarter (Q3) of this year, the ministry said in a post on X recently. This shows a rise of 17 percent on a quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) basis when compared to the second quarter of the current year. Meanwhile on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, compared to the third quarter of the last year the transactions witnessed a surge of 75 percent.
The land transport transactions achieved the highest levels during the third quarter (July-September) of this year with a total of 3,473. This was followed by the second quarter (April-June) registering 2,971 transactions and the first quarter (January-March) which recorded 2,794 land transport transactions.
The land transport sector has become a key enabler of the Qatari economy as the country has continued its efforts to develop a state-of-the-art transport network in line with the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Out of the total transactions in the third quarter of this year; 1,704 dealt with land transport licensing, 950 were related to road affairs, and 819 transactions to land transport planning. The main services of the land transport sector include road defects detection, safety on roads, directional signs, building permit requests, traffic impact studies, and approval of land transport network planning cases.
The services also include issuing preliminary approvals for limousine business activities, land transport activities, and car rental business activities.
Qatar has significantly expanded its transport sector over the last decade through focused long-term strategies and high levels of public funding. In the build-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the government invested in developing the country’s roads, rail networks and public transport systems to prepare for the influx of visitors.
In line with Qatar National Vision 2030, Qatar’s transport network is being developed with a focus on sustainability. As such, electric trains and buses are being prioritised, as well as multi-modal systems with safe walking and cycling routes.
The land transport planning of the land transport sector sets the general planning policy for land and railway transport activities. It prepares the necessary studies and design plans, as well as planning the construction and development of land and railway transport networks in coordination with the relevant authorities in Qatar. It also identifies the licensing requirements and fees of land and railway transport activities.
The Ministry is working on implementing the National Strategy for the Logistics Sector (Transportation and Storage Sector) 2024-2030 which aims to consolidate Qatar’s position as a global logistics hub, support economic diversification, and enable traders and investors to move trade at the lowest cost and time.
The Transportation Master Plan for Qatar 2050 (TMPQ 2050), published in 2022, acts as a strategic roadmap for the development of Qatar’s land transport infrastructure. The plan proposes 37 road network projects and 30 public transit network projects, with a focus on both economic growth and environmental protection.
