DOHA: The Ministry of Transport (MoT) yesterday announced it has completed the infrastructure works of the first phase of the Water Taxi project, which consists of the Lusail Ferry Terminal and two ferry stops; Pearl Ferry Stop and Corniche Ferry Stop.

The announcement was made at the Qatar Boat Show, running at the Old Doha Port with participation from over 450 maritime companies and trademarks. The MoT is the strategic partner of the Show.

The MoT booth in the show displays a mockup of the Lusail Ferry Terminal. The booth also features a visual presentation of the project’s facilities. The Water Taxi project aims at providing modern waterborne public transportation systems equipped with cutting-edge ecofriendly technologies. It also aims at enhancing integration with other public transit systems to transport passengers to and from various destinations. The plan is to connect that project, when it begins operations, with Sila public transit system, in step with MoT’s general frameworks that aim to achieve the goals of the Qatar 3rd National Development Strategy, which focuses on benefiting from advanced technologies, sustainable development, and economic diversification all the way to achieving the pillars of the QNV2030.

The main Lusail Ferry Terminal spans an area of over 2200sqm It includes a pontoon equipped with electric chargers for ferry recharging. The pontoon can accommodate four 24-meter-long. The terminal also includes a waiting area, ticketing facility, and various service facilities such as retailing and offices. The two ferry stops at the Pearl and Corniche also include pontoons, ticketing offices, and customer service offices.

The MOT says work is underway to select a project operator and the types of ferries for transporting passengers. The second phase will cover other areas such as Katara, Old Doha Port, Hamad International Airport, and Al Wakra. The third phase is to connect the Old Doha Port with Al Khour in northern Qatar, passing by Lusail City and Simaisma, as per the studies to be conducted later.

The Water Taxi project contributes to supporting Qatar’s tourism profile and Qatar Tourism’s plans and efforts by promoting domestic travel by ferries.

There has been a large turnout to the MoT booth, which also displays a package of new digital services now available for vessels at the MoT website, in addition to the automatic identification system (AIS) used on ships for better safety and for easy tracking process during inspection operations. The booth also features Skipper Plus, which is a moisture meter for wooden boats and fiberglass vessels. The purpose is to make sure the body of the vessel is in good shape and condition and helps reduce maintenance costs on the long run.

On the sidelines of the event, the MoT is holding two panel discussions in association with the International Maritime Organization; the first to focus on raising awareness of the multiple types of boats for purposes of safe navigation and the second to focus on the reliability of unmanned ships and benefits for smaller boats and in what way the technological advancements are good for smaller boats and leisure boats.