In a mammoth operation carried out recently, Qatar’s national transport company Mowasala (Karwa) executed a demo run to test over 2,300 tournament service buses across 80 routes, mirroring the days with the highest ridership during Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022.
Held on September 21 and 22, Qatar witnessed a first-of-its-kind event, where a massive workforce, specially trained for the tournament bus services, went on the road, connecting 25 major depots and operation hubs for Qatar2022, among them Souq Waqif, the Fan Zones, West Bay, Umm Besher, Barwa Madinatna and Barahat Al-Janoub.
The objective of the operation was to stress test the road network with a bus volume comparable to the one anticipated for the World Cup. The exercise also tested the efficacy of the last-mile support network as well as the various junctures for pedestrian crossing, said a statement from Mowasalat.
The tests carried out on both days included services to and from the major World Cup stadiums, transportation on the arterial road network within Doha and its environs, as well as airport connectivity services, it stated.
Testing the connectivity with other more distant depots, including the ones in Al Khor, Mesaimeer and Wadi Abu Saleel, was also an integral part of the whole exercise, it added.