Abstract
Motorisation is increasing globally, especially in major cities of Asia and the Gulf region. To illustrate, over the last decades, Doha, the capital city of Qatar, has experienced a fast urban growth along with a wide increase in the need for new transportation options. Recently, the Qatari Government has planned to improve Doha’s transport system, by developing projects that include a new metro and light rail scheme. On the other hand, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)’s track record provides a compelling case for more cities to consider it as a transit priority. Within this context, this article critically examines three relevant factors (implementation time, cost effectiveness, and performance) for the successful dissemination of BRTs in relation to the city of Doha. The article argues that the implementation of a BRT scheme is a beneficial and effective alternative to the metro scheme that is under construction in the city.
Highlights
A rapid and massive urbanization process in emerging countries is driving an unprecedented level of private motorization
Worsening traffic congestion has prompted stakeholders worldwide to search for more sustainable mass transportation systems to address traffic-related issues
To mitigate some of the worsening effects of its increasing motorization, and with the aim to equip the city with a state-of-the-art mass transport system for the upcoming 2022 World Cup, Doha is undertaking the implementation of a massive metro network (Azzali, 2015; Azzali 2016)
Summary
A rapid and massive urbanization process in emerging countries is driving an unprecedented level of private motorization. Many examples of BRT systems, from TransMilenio in Bogotá to Guangzhou in China, show that BRT can offer many benefits such as high reliability and high performance It is a cost-effective transport mode, with more flexibility in implementation than other mass transport systems (Wright, 2003; Fjellstrom, 2010; Hidalgo and Carrigan, 2010; Wright, 2010). With this preamble, the article intends to analyse the main strengths of BRT systems in relation to Doha, the capital city of Qatar. The analysis is based on three main arguments: implementation time, cost effectiveness, and performance (speed and capacity) These issues are discussed with reference to major successful examples of BRT schemes. With a lack in the literature on mass transportation systems in the Gulf Region, findings can be applied by extension to the major Gulf cities, as they share many similarities in their urban form and transport development
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