Motorists see red over indiscriminate parking of trucks in Industrial Area

Motorists and visitors to the Industrial Area are unhappy with the indiscriminate parking of heavy vehicles and trucks, creating traffic congestion on many roads, reported Qatar Tribune.

According to road users, indiscriminate parking of trucks at 'no parking' zones is on the rise after the closure of Barwa Al Baraha, a huge parking area constructed exclusively for long-body trucks. The huge facility had parking slots for 4,200 trucks.

A regular visitor to the Industrial Area said, "Inappropriate parking of trucks has become a big concern. Some drivers' habit of parking trucks wherever they find a place is creating problems for many businesses in Industrial Area. This practice not only create traffic jams, but also causes waste of our valuable time needed for the business."

A South Asian truck driver at a logistics company said, "Getting parking for heavy vehicles is a challenge for drivers. Earlier, Industrial Area had vast vacant areas used as parking yard for a large number of trucks. Later, many of these open parking slots were occupied by different infrastructure and development projects. Even though Al Baraha offered many facilities like vehicle protection, refreshment centre and eateries, drivers were reluctant to go there due to poor public transportation network and lack of affordable accommodation facilities for many low-income drivers."

According to residents of the area, pollution created by the trucks while roaming around to look for parking is another source of concern.

An expatriate living in a labour camp on Street 42 said, "Many of the trucks which create traffic congestion remain on the move looking to find parking slots. I believe the situation is giving rise to environment pollution and creating health hazards for people living in Industrial Area."

An intercity truck driver said, "Getting parking for heavy trucks is a big challenge. We’re forced to spend long hours on the road just to get a free parking space."

Many of the residents and motorists said the size of the expatriate population in Industrial Area is growing bigger, urging the authorities concerned to sort out the issues by introducing permanent solutions for both parking and pollution.

Courtesy: Qatar-tribune.com