The Peninsula Hails TMPQ to Cut Carbon Emissions

Doha, June 30 (QNA) - English-language newspaper, The Peninsula, hailed in its editorial Thursday the Transportation Master Plan for Qatar 2050 (TMPQ) which recently launched, stressing that the State of Qatar has made great strides in modernizing its public transportation system in recent years, not only facilitating the masses but also cutting carbon emissions from the transportation sector. The Qatari daily newspaper said that TMPQ will work as a roadmap for investing in land transportation infrastructure and identifies the frameworks and future orientations for developing the transportation networks in a way that ensures their integration with land uses, urban development, population growth and meeting the future demand for transportation. Estimates indicate that the 2050 Transportation Master Plan will increase public transport accessibility to education facilities and workplaces by 50 percent and will increase the ridership on train and buses by 81 percent, the paper added. The plan is expected to also cut traffic congestion and improve truck mobility, the paper said. Under TMPQ's expected impacts, it is estimated that there will be 43 percent reduction in annual fuel consumption while there will be 45-73 percent reduction in harmful emissions generated from traffic, The Peninsula noted. The newspaper said that the government is also implementing a plan to convert public buses to electric and envisages 25 percent of the fleet to go electric by 2022. Apart from a modern rail and bus network, the State of Qatar has also attached great importance to building pedestrian and bicycle-friendly infrastructure and pathways, the paper noted. The Peninsula concluded by stressing that Qatar's integrated and efficient transportation system is catering to tens of thousands of commuters daily and is ready to welcome fans for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. (QNA)