Qatari authorities are doubling down on vehicle parking management projects in a bid to reduce traffic congestion and enhance the quality of life in urban and residential areas.

As a start, authorities have installed around 3,300 vehicle parking sensors in different areas of West Bay, Doha Corniche and Central Doha, where parking lots for over 18,000 vehicles have been made available. The project will go live immediately upon completion of the necessary procedures.

Work is being done to ensure the Smart Qatar Program (TASMU) project works flawlessly on all aspects related to the mechanisms of reserving parking, collecting charges for it, controlling violations, and applying penalties following the law and ministerial decisions.

A Press conference was held at the Ministry of Municipality headquarters on Wednesday to give more information about the ongoing project.

Ministry of Municipality’s Technical Office Director Eng Tariq Al Tamimi said about 3,300 parking sensors were installed in the first phase, with work ongoing on the remaining stages to cover all priority areas.

“In the first stage, 80 signboards have been installed, with a completion rate of 80%, and two parking management systems outside the right-of-way accounting for 20%,” Al Tamimi was quoted as saying.

Al Tamimi said the management of vehicle parking in Qatar aimed to improve the quality of life in cities and residential neighbourhoods.

Ministries of Municipality, Communication and #Ashghal Announce Completion Stages of Public Parking Management Project. #QNA https://t.co/lSdfEjumnz pic.twitter.com/HLwFPD6rd2

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) September 20, 2023

The system hopes to reduce congestion in crowded places by organising parking spaces and making optimal use of them. It will also encourage people to make more use of public transportation that will help reduce emissions and pollution. It would also lead to an improvement in traffic safety and reduce violations related to incorrect parking.

Once the system is implemented, it will lead to more optimal use of the state’s resources of roads and land and also increase return on investment in infrastructure, which can be invested back into development work. It will also help support the country’s economic growth and fight the phenomenon of abandoned cars.

The Public-Private parking Management Organization in the country strives to enhance quality of life and humanize cities by optimizing parking, reducing congestion, and promoting public transit use.

— وزارة البلدية | Ministry Of Municipality (@albaladiya) September 20, 2023

Iman Al Kuwari, Director of Digital Innovation Department at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, said: “The integration of the smart parking service, empowered by TASMU’s central platform technologies, represents a significant technological advancement in promoting comfort and well-being for all. It also plays a crucial role in enhancing traffic flow and reducing congestion. This service was developed with the goal of improving users’ parking experience by making it easier to find parking spaces.”

Efficient parking management is seen as a vital component in advancing Qatar’s National Vision 2030, the State Parking Master Plan 2022, and the Qatar Transport Master Plan 2050.

Law No. (13) of 2021, regarding the regulation of vehicle parking, authorises the Ministry of Municipality to regulate and operate parking lots in Qatar by concerned municipalities.

Since the law’s issuance, work has been done to prepare legislative tools for the implementation of the law.

The project’s first phase was approved in West Bay, Doha Central and Doha Corniche due to the readiness of public parking lots on both sides of the road.

The country’s Public Relations Department is also readying a media campaign to educate the community about the parking system, parking reservation mechanism and violations and penalties associated with it.

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