Will mandatory bus transportation ease traffic in school zone?

With several road development projects being implemented on a regular basis, the movement of traffic in Doha and its suburbs is increasingly becoming an uphill battle.

Frequent traffic jams for long hours, especially during peak times (morning and evening), has become the common reason for missing appointments and late reporting in offices.

Abu Hamour, Mamoura, 22-February Road, Madinat Khalifa (South), Al Markhiya, Al Wakra and Television roundabout, roads leading to industrial area, are some of the places which have been identified witnessing the worst traffic jams.

Traffic diversion and road closures to make way for various infrastructure projects such as metro have further aggravated the situation in areas that usually remain crowded during normal days.

Abu Hamour area houses more than a dozen schools and faces one of the worst traffic jams almost throughout the day due to the movement of a huge fleet of buses and private cars dropping and picking children to schools twice a day.

Some citizens have even suggested making the use of bus services mandatory for children who come in private cars, as one bus can replace up to 50 cars.

The population of the Al Wakra has grown manifolds, while the infrastructure has witnessed very little expansion. The relatively cheaper housing rentals are one of the important reasons for the rapid growth of population in the area.

The ongoing construction projects in the area have further increased the movement of vehicles significantly, reports The Peninsula.

Although the traffic department has taken necessary steps such as deploying police personnel in pre-identified places to ensure smooth movement of traffic, but due to the unprecedented increase in the flow of traffic things just go beyond imagination.