Doha: Traffic Congestion is a Growing Challenge

Report & Pictures by Victor D’Souza, Doha
Bellevision Media Network

Doha, 16 December 2009: The rapid growth in Qatar has resulted in traffic congestion on the main arterials of Doha which is the bugbear of people. Especially traffic jams during peak morning, afternoon and evening hours is causing discomfort for a majority of residents, including those who do not drive.

Even the afternoon lull is turning into a procession for trucks following the timing restrictions for heavy vehicles transporting goods. Traffic congestion used to be apparent only during morning and afternoon peak hours either side of the school day, but now there appears to be no respite. And it is easy to work out why, consider the increasing number of new vehicles as well as the population.

As a result of traffic congestion, several motorists avoid crowded areas. Some taxi drivers also refuse to board passengers who are headed for areas prone to traffic jams, which causes those who do not have their vehicles to either cancel their trips or force them into waiting longer till a cabbie obliges.

The transportation company recently introduced a new bus system in Doha. The bus system covers many areas of the city, and there are stops throughout the city which has been a relief for many. But the bus system is mainly used by lower-income groups, and does not attract many from the higher-income groups in the city, which has not helped enough to the congestion on the roads of Doha, as most people prefer cars.

Vehicles involved in minor accidents are dealt with on the spot by patrol police or could be moved away by the drivers from the spot which will be then attended by traffic police. This measure has succeeded in easing traffic snarls which used to be caused due to the road being blocked for a minor accident, especially on roundabouts and signals in particular.

We must appreciate the authorities, who are working professionally on the solutions for traffic congestion. It is challenging to handle the traffic bottlenecks during peak hours. But the city has seen significant efforts dedicated to improving its road system recently, with major intersections, flyovers, underpasses and highways being constructed in high traffic areas throughout the city, which will alleviate the city’s congestion problems in the long term.

Many projects to relieve the traffic problems in the city have been introduced, and most of the busy intersections of the city are being upgraded to improve the flow of traffic. They have implemented signals at the roundabouts, intended to ease traffic congestion, safe gravelling and giving all approaches a fair chance of entering the roundabout.

The projects to improve the transport infrastructure, including a number of multi-lane motorways, extensions to road networks and improvements to the Doha bus system and also,
the implementation of the planned rail network and the completion of several existing projects should certainly help ease traffic congestion in the days to come.