News | Ministry of Transport

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Government Contact Center Receives 4 Million Calls Annually

Doha-QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) confirmed that the government contact center “109” receives 4 million calls annually, around the clock, seven days a week, noting that the center, which is one of Qatar Digital Government (QDG) initiatives, receives a great support from the ministry to provide distinguished services by communicating with customers, and supporting government entities. The center receives 350 thousand calls per month, and that 98% of the calls were answered, indicating that 34 government entities have been linked to the center, to provide more than 60 services, including primary health care (107), government entities (109), customs (184), Qatar Post and others.MOTC said that the total number of call center employees to support government entities amounts to 300 employees distributed over 6 different centers who provide service to the public in 9 different languages, in addition to achieving a solution of more than 90% of problems from the first call, with an average answering speed of no more than 20 seconds.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Temporary Suspension of Public Transit Services

Doha – QatarIn view of Coronavirus COVID-19 prevention precautionary measures taken in the country, we would like to inform you that Doha Metro preview service, public transit bus service and Metrolink service have been temporarily suspended starting this evening Thursday, March 12, 2020, at 22:00. The service will resume on Sunday, March 15, 2020, at 06:00.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

MOTC, QU Sign Memo of Cooperation on Research, Info. Exchange

Doha – QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications and Qatar University, represented by the College of Engineering, today signed a memorandum of cooperation to boost and strengthen cooperation in scientific, technological and research fields on mobility and transportation. The two parties also aim to maximize benefiting from expertise and competence they have in developing and training human resources in pursuant of the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2018-2022.The memo was signed by MOTC’s Acting Assistant Undersecretary of Land Transport Affairs Mr. Eng. Hamad Essa Abdulla and Dean of QU College of Engineering (QU-CENG) Dr. Khaled Kamal Naji.The memo provides for the exchange of information, expertise, studies, statistics and data that matter the most for the Ministry and the QU Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Center (QTTSC), in addition to conducting research on planning, designing and developing road and land transport projects, traffic engineering, road safety, the deployment of smart systems in land transport projects, public transit and mobility. The memo also provides for the drafting and developing of policies, strategies and legislations needed for developing and regulating the land transport and transportation industry.Under the memo, workshops and programs will be developed for hands-on training for professionals from the Ministry and QU students covering the topics relating to land transport, logistics support services and traffic safety.Additionally, MOTC employees who meet QU’s master’s and doctoral programs’ requirements can resume their study with QTTSC on relevant subjects, according to QU’s applicable rules and procedures.“The Ministry of Transport and Communications continuously advocates for more cooperation and integration with educational institutions, particularly QU, to help harmonize its output with what the transportation and land transport industry needs. This also helps raise the sector’s competitiveness in terms of research and academic studies in addition to upskilling the human resources to achieve success in all areas,” said Mr. Abdulla.“This memo will provide an ample room for work with QU on developing various projects, studies and strategies that can contribute to developing land transport affairs, particularly the universal land transport,” he added.Mr. Abdulla also stressed that MOTC has always been keen to enhance engagement with QU on scientific, administrative, technological and research fields on all fronts relating to mobility and land transport.Dr. Naji said, "This memo between QU-CENG represented by Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Centre and the Ministry of Transport and Communications provides distinguished research and advisory services and stimulates sustainable economic and social development in the State of Qatar. It activates the social partnership and facilitates the transfer of knowledge and technology with MOTC. It also confirms the continuous endeavor by QU-CENG to find solutions to the challenges facing the transportation sector specifically in line with the national priorities towards a knowledge-based economy.""Through this memo, fields of cooperation diversify and multiply to include several horizons including studies, consultations, quality services and consulting services, in addition to workshops and specialized courses and investment in faculty members and summer training for students, as well as facilitating the exchange of information and field visits. Such efforts support the college’s endeavor to prepare the Qatari engineers who will proceed the renaissance and prosperity of the State of Qatar,” he added.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Qatar-Uruguay Air Services Agreement Signed

Doha – QatarHE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti today attended the final signing of an open skies air services agreement between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Uruguay.Signed at the Ministry offices today, the agreement comes within the framework of connecting the State of Qatar with more air services agreements, permitting its national carrier to expand its destinations all around the world.The agreement was signed by Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Chairman HE Mr. Abdulla bin Nasser Turki Al Subaey and HE the Ambassador of the Republic of Uruguay to Qatar Mr. Sere Jorge Antonio.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Minister Meets with Georgia Economy Minister

Doha – QatarHE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti met at Ministry offices today with HE the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Ms. Natela Turnava.The two ministers discussed aspects of cooperation in the fields of transportation, ports and communications and means of further enhancing them. They also discussed the investment opportunities available in these fields, in addition to boosting cooperation on Black Sea Express Service, which connects harbors between Greece, Turkey, Georgia and Russia. Moreover, the two officials discussed several matters of common interest between the two friendly countries.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

UPU Council of Admin. Endorses Qatar Resolution Calling on Int’l Bureau to Appoint 3rd Arbitrator as per General Regulations

The Council of Administration (CA) of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) voted in its meeting today for the resolution the State of Qatar had proposed and which affirms the right of the State of Qatar to restore postal services from and to the defendant countries (the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) through binding arbitration and “strongly urges” the UPU Director General to appoint a third arbitrator in accordance with its duties as per Article 153 (8) of the General Regulations of the UPU.The State of Qatar appreciates all efforts made by the UPU and its Member States to address the situation.The defendant countries (the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) have, jointly and without warning, imposed a series of coercive measures against the State of Qatar.Part of these measures was the suspension by postal service operators in the defendant countries of all postal services from and to the State of Qatar. Since then, the postal services operator of Qatar had neither been able to receive or send any postal correspondences to the defendant countries nor been able to even receive or send correspondences to other countries through them.The State of Qatar and the defendant countries are Member States of the UPU. Without a doubt, the stopping of postal services by the defendant countries with the State of Qatar violates the Constitution, Convention and General Regulations of the UPU. Article 32 of the UPU Constitution reads: “In the event of a dispute between two or more postal administrations of member countries concerning the interpretation of the Acts of the Union or the responsibility imposed on a member country by the application of those Acts, the question at issue shall be settled by arbitration.”On Sep. 20, 2018, the State of Qatar sent a notification to each of the defendant countries to start the arbitration process as per Article 32 of the UPU Constitution, requesting the founding of a court to settle the dispute resulting from the defendant countries’ suspending of postal services with the State of Qatar. The State of Qatar began the arbitration process to restore direct postal services from and to the defendant countries and to obtain compensations for the harms caused by the suspension of postal services since June 2017.The State of Qatar participated in the arbitration procedures in good faith in accordance with the text and soul of the UPU General Regulations. But, on the other hand and for more than a year, the defendant countries have been using one way after the other to hinder the founding of arbitration bodies and particularly to hinder the appointment of a third arbitrator for the arbitration bodies.Due to such a flagrant denial of the State of Qatar’s right of settling the dispute internationally as per the UPU regulatory framework, the State of Qatar, represented by the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA), had to seek support from the CA of the UPU, which consists of 41 Member States. Early today, the CA passed a resolution proposed by the State of Qatar, which emphasizes the State of Qatar’s right to seek the restoration of postal services from and to the defendant countries through binding arbitration and “strongly urges” the UPU Director General to appoint a third arbitrator in accordance with its duties as per Article 153 (8) of the UPU General Regulations. The decision made today follows the decision the CA made previously, and which was endorsed during the meeting of the CA of the UPU in Oct. 2017 and which strongly urged the defendant countries to reestablish direct postal services with the State of Qatar. However, the defendant countries failed to comply with that decision.On this occasion, HE the President of CRA of Qatar Mr. Mohammed Ali Al-Mannai said “We are pleased with the endorsement by the UPU’s CA of that resolution and looking forward to establishing arbitration committees with no more unjustified delay and to settling the dispute caused by the postal measures taken by the defendant countries.”