Call to address traffic congestion around schools

More traffic congestion around the schools' exit and entry points during morning and afternoon have been observed across many areas in Doha, especially around the schools located within areas of high density population.

Accordingly, parents have called on the entities concerned to resolve the situation to avoid delays and enhance the safety of students and their parents. A large number of vehicles converge on the schools in the early morning hours and during the afternoon. Limited parking lots cause congestion during peak hours around schools.

Talking to local Arabic daily Arrayah, a number of parents suggested some solutions to this persisting issue that arises with every start of a new school year.

Engineer Fawzi al-Nuaimi pointed out that the schools themselves could play an active role in mitigating the effects of this phenomenon such as regulating the exit and entry of students and ask the traffic department's help in organising the traffic around the schools during the entry and exit hours.

He said that schools should be built away from the main roads and streets and the construction of the building itself should be designed in a way that allows ample exit and entry points with adequate number of parking lots. He also suggested that schools should encourage students and parents to use school buses rather than their own vehicles to reduce congestion.

Zakaria al-Majid stressed that the most practical solution for this issue is the use of school buses by the largest possible numbers of students. He pointed out that at some schools around 600 vehicles assemble during the early morning and afternoon hours waiting for students, which causes congestion.

Mohamed al-Obaidly suggested that schools could start and end their day early to reduce traffic congestion. All schools and work entities having the same start and end timings could cause congestion on the roads.

Mohamed al-Ghadid said that the daily traffic congestion around many schools is a problem that is very difficult to resolve, especially for the schools located within dense residential areas. While the use of school buses seems to be a good solution, many feel it is exhausting and time consuming for students, he added.