DOHA: The Ministry of Municipality, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ announced the completion stages of the public parking management project in the country under Law No. (13) of 2021 on regulating vehicle parking, where the management of public parking will begin under the supervision of the relevant municipal departments, and in partnership with the private sector companies assigned by the Ministry of Municipality, immediately after completing the project procedures.
Director of the Technical Office at the Ministry of Municipality Eng Tariq Juma Al Tamimi said, during a press conference, that the office worked to limit public parking to the planning areas proposed for the first phase in coordination with the Public Works Authority, approve electronic information signs and parking stickers, and follow up with the ‘Tasmu’ team at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the project contractor to ensure the completion of the installation of smart parking management systems according to the contract.
He explained that the installation of about 3,300 parking sensors has been completed as a first stage, with a completion rate of (100 percent), while the remaining stages are being completed to cover all priority areas, and 80 identification signs were also installed, with a completion rate of (80 percent), and two parking management systems outside the right-of-way, with a completion rate of (20 percent).
He stated that organizing the management of public and private parking in the country aims to achieve a number of positive indicators and contribute to improving the quality of life in cities and residential neighbourhoods, in addition to reducing congestion and traffic congestion in major crowded places, and encouraging the use of public transportation to reduce emissions and pollution and reduce road congestion, in addition to optimal exploitation of the state's resources of roads and land and increasing the return on investment in infrastructure, which can be invested in development work, supporting the country's economic growth and combating the phenomenon of abandoned cars.
Director of the Digital Innovation Department at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Eman Al Kuwari said that implementing the smart parking service, enhanced with the technologies of the Tasmu central platform, constitutes an important technical step towards enhancing comfort and well-being for everyone. It contributes to improving traffic and reducing congestion, and this service was developed with the aim of improving the users' experience in finding parking spaces with ease, pointing out that this service is considered one of the forefront of modern mobility solutions because it relies on advanced technologies. It combines the Internet of Things, cloud computing and user-friendly interfaces, such as artificial intelligence and remote sensing technologies.
She added that the ministry is pleased to develop the smart parking service with our partners in the Ministry of Municipality and the Public Works Authority, as this cooperation works to improve the quality of life within the country, in addition to reducing traffic congestion, it supports environmental goals by reducing gas emissions from vehicles and improving air quality in urban areas.
Head of Doha City Design Team at the Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ Eng Mohammed Ali Al Marri confirmed that the infrastructure works for approximately 18,210 vehicle parking lots have been completed in different areas, while infrastructure services included 1,056 parking lots inside the right-of-way and 791 outside the right-of-way in the West Bay area, the Qatar Energy District and the Corniche, in addition to 1,537 parking spaces inside the right-of-way and 637 outside the right-of-way in central Doha.
He pointed out, during the press conference, Ashghal's keenness to create an environmental balance between the spaces allocated for parking and pedestrian paths that aim to promote a healthy lifestyle, while being keen to increase green spaces and provide the necessary infrastructure for alternative means of transportation. Some parking lots on Corniche Road have also been allocated for electric cars, in line with the country's trend in achieving environmental sustainability, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and the trend towards using alternative energy means.
It is worth noting that organizing parking is considered one of the important elements in promoting the Qatar National Vision 2030, the master plan for parking for the country, and the master plan for transportation in Qatar 2050.
Work is also currently underway to ensure that the smart parking management system in the Tasmu project addresses all points related to the mechanism of reserving parking, collecting fees for it, controlling violations, and applying penalties. Meanwhile, the technical office at the Ministry of Municipality is working to complete the preparation of the road map for managing public and private parking in the country, in coordination with the Public Works Authority and the relevant departments in the ministry.
