Qatar saw a decrease in congestion levels due to Covid-19.

A significant drop in road congestion levels was recorded across Qatar at the height of the pandemic in 2020, a 60% drop in comparison to the previous year, according to a report.

The reduction was recorded between April to September and was largely due to restrictions imposed to curb the Covid-19 health crisis, the sixth annual Qatar Traffic Report (QTR) released by Qatar Mobility Innovations Centre (QMIC) said.

“This year’s report is especially important as it provides important insight into changes in traffic trends under extraordinary circumstances caused by Covid-19 and shows the progress made by Ashghal (Public Works Authority) in enhancing the road network in Qatar,” Omar Mohamed al-Jaber, director of strategic partnerships and outreach said.

“It can provide a very useful understanding to decision makers about the type of actions, preparations and regulations needed during crises,” he added.

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The report analysed the status and conditions of traffic in Qatar during 2020 and takes the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on the movement of road users into consideration.

The average number of extra hours spent due to congestion on Qatari roads was 38 hours per commuter in 2020, 54 hours less than in 2019. Most of the congestion was recorded in the first and last quarters of 2020, before and after lockdown measures.

The report measured the productivity cost of congestion, which refers to the economic loss caused by idleness from being stuck in traffic. Qatar saw a decrease of QR 3.6 billion compared to 2019.

The pre-Covid-19 months of January, February and March 2020 were the most congested months in the year.

Last year also saw the completion of key road projects around the country.

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