Third Annual Meeting of Planning and Design of roads Opens

Doha, February 25 (QNA) -The third The 3rd Annual Road Planning, Design and Construction Middle East summit which opened here today, will discuss the latest developments and new issues related to road design and transport and communications industry in general as well as aspects related to security and safety on the roads. A large number of engineers, experts and consultants as well as representatives of contracting and supplies companies working in the field of roads, security and safety are taking part in the forum, organized by the International Quality and Productivity Centre. The first day focused on the plans and strategies of the State of Qatar in the field of roads and transport, their compatibility with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the challenges facing these plans and programmes. Dr. Wism Al Hamra, from the transport planning and infrastructure department of the planning sector at the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning gave a detailed presentation on Qatar Strategic Transport Model (QSTM) and its importance in creating an analytical tool to assess matters and drawing up policies related to strategic planning for the transport network in Greater Doha area and the State of Qatar. Dr. Al Hamra said, "this model has been developed in the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning as part of the overall transport plan for the state and its importance lies in linking the activities of the population with their daily trips by the transport network." The presentation included a detailed explanation of the technical characteristics of this model in the evaluation of future transport networks and the test of transportation plans and traffic scenarios, based on the expected changes on population indicators, transport network standards and land use in order to provide a transport system matching the latest international specifications. The presentation also touched on some of the ways in which the transport model is used, including the preparation of studies on the effects of major projects on traffic and the road network adjacent to projects and how to make a successful traffic solutions. The model features Qatar's ability to develop models of passenger transport and network data management with flexibility and comprehensiveness. Dr. Al Hamra this model is an integrated model for all means of transport such as private cars, passenger cars, trucks, buses, trains, pedestrians, and cyclists. He also stressed that this model is subject to ongoing updates, adding that it has been updated seven times from the date of its preparation for the first time in the year 2008.(QNA)