Strategy to ease traffic in Doha

The Ministry of Interior has announced a comprehensive plan to ensure smooth traffic flow when the new school year begins in Qatar next week.

“The Traffic Department has a plan to ease circulation on all roads of Doha, especially those where construction work is on, in co-ordination with the Rescue Police (Al Fazaa) and Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya),” said Capt Ali al-Baridi, head of the traffic movement at the department.

“All such areas will be covered by traffic patrols with special focus on key intersections and roundabouts,” al-Baridi said.

There would be more than 60 traffic patrols from the department along with those from Lekhwiya and Al Fazaa. The traffic plan would cover the parking areas of schools to ensure the safe movement of students and their parents, he added.

Al-Baridi reiterated that motorists should not block roads in case of minor road accidents. “They should move the vehicles to the side of the road and go to the nearest police station together.”

He urged all road users to co-operate with police personnel and abide by traffic regulations.

“Parents should start for school as early as possible to avoid any potential congestion, which usually causes them stress that leads to road accidents.”

Lieut Abdulwahid Gharib al-Anzi, awareness officer, said the department had adopted an intensive programme to spread traffic awareness among students with the beginning of the new school year.

The programmes target students at all school levels and encourage them to abide by rules meant for road users.

Further, the department intends to launch a “traffic village” at its headquarters in the new school year. It will include miniature roads to instruct children on the principles of driving in a practical and safe manner.

Brig Hamad Othman al-Duhaimi, director of operations at the General Directorate of Civil Defence (GDCD), said that they had put in a lot of efforts to review safety and security procedures in schools in co-ordination with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and Supreme Education Council (SEC).

GDCD, he asserted, did  not allow schools to operate unless they conform to safety standards and security regulations.

“It conducts sudden inspections at schools to ensure compliance with the norms and also prepares training programmes for mock evacuation drills to train students, teachers and administrative staff on how to act in case of a fire - whether at home or in school.”

Al-Duhaimi said that all schools in the country had been linked to the National Command Centre for quick response in case of an emergency.