Dangerous sports: walking in Doha

Sadly, with all the construction going on to develop Qatar nobody seemed to plan for the well-being of the residents - pedestrians and motorists. Not enough pedestrian crossings, foot bridges, underground crossing, bus stands and walkways/sidewalks. I think the concerned people and agencies should have planned ahead, i mean waaaaay ahead if they'd not want to have bigger problems in the future. By the time these traffic signals are in place and all roads have radars and cams, they might have no use at all since the roads would be too crowded. I think we should be seeing flyovers instead of traffic signals being put up, road-widening to accomodate the increasing volume of vehicles and imposed number of parking slots rational to number of tenants on each and every building that is being constructed. In time that these buildings would come up, the roadside parking would not be enough. Then there will always be vehicles parked on sidewalks. The government should be doing overtime, the population reaching the Million mark is fast approaching.

I guess wonder boy has all the answers and connections for all the headaches of this country.

The Red Pope of Qatar Living

Owen, unfortunately it's not just the guys having a break that is the problem. They may be 'working' but it doesn't stop them staring or following us around. If there was a law against that, I might start walking out there again.

melissa, what i meant there is that whenever this guys are having their breaks they are wondering the streets...im suggesting, why not provide a room for them..for them to rest with...instead of them lying, walking, staring people...:)

[img_assist|nid=12867|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.

"This city is NOT for walking. "............. now you telling us where were u say 20 years back

LOL J/K

[img_assist|nid=50852|title=hmm|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]

I would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here

Than a whole truck load when I'm gone

Hi,

I was visiting Doha last week. although I'm back home now, I'm planning on moving there in January. When I was there I took a taxi (which took forever to find) from Villagio to the corniche to check it out and do the tourist thing. Little did I know that after several hours of walking in the sun I would be essentially TRAPPED there! I am starting to suspect that there are about 4 taxis in all of Doha - and they don't ever go to the Corniche. The walk crossings are way too far apart - and when I finally got to one it dumped me off into a family only park that I couldn't enter. I ended up having to walk on a 1 foot wide pavement down the highway as I made my way to the nearest hotel I could see (Rydges) with the thought I could find a taxi there. People were staring at me the whole time as if I was a social deviant. I was wearing long sleeves and long pants but that didn't seem to matter.

Lesson learned: I'll be buying a car when I get to Doha. This city is NOT for walking.

already said the reason why females don't walk. It's not because we don't want, it's because of these workers staring at ALL women! Terribly irritating. But we can't do anything against it. They can, but won't.

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http://www.freewebs.com/qatarpets/

If foot bridges dont look good then why not have subways. We are talking about lives here. No amount spend is more than one life saved.

..**.. ""They walk among us. They vote & they even reproduce"" ..**..

Discussed this with Nigel, which prompted the forum. Can't beleive how its taken such a diverse route. Fountains, ladies only, special tracks.

I raised this with view of SAVING LIVES not as a leisure opprotunity.

My concern: having witnessed a labourer being hit (and presumably killed) whilst crossing the road from the medical commission, as well as understanding that 1 person a month dies trying to get across D ring by Lulu.

The question was simple: Why when they talk about reducing deaths on the roads all the time, do not the Qatar Authorities install foot bridges for those who are not fortunate enough to afford cars and have to risk their lives to get from where the bus/taxi/company driver chooses to drop them to their destination?

I am given to understand that Lulu offered to pay for a foot bridge because of this problem. It was of course rejected.

Some people here may think "it is ok because it is only low paid labourers" and it seems life here is considered cheap. Remember, they too are human beings. They too are here to try to support and provide a better life for their families back home.

So come on, it is quick and relatively cheap to install prefabricated foot bridges overnight- no traffic disruption.

It may be as one contributor said- they may not be considered attractive- but hey, if they save lives who gives a damn?

If you are serious then it has to also include and benefit Qataris.

So more green areas with special tracks like Aspire.

with trees for shade

Some ladies only area or with lady only times.

Water fountains

Information plaques - why is walking good for? - what footwear?

in conjunction with Hamad hospital

Sorry, I realise a western response isn't the way to do things here but I couldn't think of the correct method, so I figured people would understand my idea if I used the word 'petition'. Thanks for clarifying the proper way to do it.

The problem is, if we find someone willing to take issues to a majli meeting they'll be inundated with requests from everyone on QL about every little thing that gets debated on here!

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http://tall-and-ginger.blogspot.com

tallg....Dimondgirl can do it...(bring it to the attention of His Highness)

That is if she thinks its important enough.

Sometimes I wonder if she is Sheika Moosa herself!!!

(being in Geneva & running off letters to Ambassdors...et all)

tallg

I don't think that a petition is the right way - it might look like an organized protest. In Qatar, I think the way to raise an issue like this is through the majli system, but that probably means finding a Qatari to make your case for you.

Does anyone else know more about the majli meetings?

--nigel

http://qatarjournal.com/

Maybe they won't build any pedestrian facilities unless they can hire some famous international architect to design the most advanced, expensive, prestigious pedestrian overpass ever built.

In Oman, it seems like whenever there's any sort of busy road, there's always a pedestrian underpass, a tunnel under the road. I'm from New York City, so I was surprised that these tunnels smelled fine. They wouldn't in NYC. I don't see why they don't have those tunnels here. They worked great in Oman.

A simple thing that would make the roads safer for everyone: traffic lights instead of these dangerous roundabouts. Sometimes, the only time I can cross the street is when cars have just crashed at a roundabout, and are blocking traffic while waiting for the police to make a report.

My first day here, the rough construction rubble that passes for sidewalk tore up my sandals, so I had to throw them away. I walk only in sturdy shoes now.

Owen, your comment requesting "less labourers wandering the streets" was terribly prejudiced. Doesn't everyone have the right to walk around? And if there are more pedestrians of any type, drivers will be more aware of us, so it will be safer for all. Besides, from what I read on QL, female pedestrians are in more danger from men driving expensive cars than from low-paid workers.

I haven't had a problem from either group, myself. I often get surprised looks from the "labourers wandering the streets" but there's nothing wrong with surprise.

sidewalks and crossings...

Stop parking and driving on sidewalks..just put those little concrete bumps (you know, those that are just high enough so the large SUVs can's go over them..at varying intervals..should stop both parking AND driving on said sidewalks..

NOW, that being said...having HAD to walk one afternoon to the closest business, due to car trouble..within the first 5 minutes of walking, there were 5 honkers, 3 obscene yellers and 2 offers for a car "ride"...I was dressed from head to foot...no skin showing...and I am NOT a young girl..so no, its NOT really fun(probably not safe either!) to walk here in Doha...

Foot bridges is the bst solution for highways

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Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

Talha (1988-20??)

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Qatar Football group

http://www.qatarliving.com/node/43589

ride a camel on street, i think is safer then walking.

but then, you can walk along the R/A, flag down a taxi at R/A

stop your car, or truck at R/A to have a coffee

sleep in your car at R/A to waith for you frends....

it is well safe, i saw this happening EVERYDAY in QATAR...

not safe is b'cos u r not trained to that standard...

if it is not safe, dun do it....

or u r disqualified..

or u r in the wrong place..

or u got conned by the oil $$ here...risking life everyday...not on the job but on the roads..

take care !!

if you cannot take it, leave it !!

As I doubt the Emir is an avid reader of QL (though you never know!), how do we go about petitioning him to do something about it?

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http://tall-and-ginger.blogspot.com

Ever since we have moved to Doha, I feel imprisoned in the house literally as I have to move around with a year old baby in a pram and there is no way I am venturing out in the midst of these maniacs with a baby in tow. I mean people just do not have any consideration for children and their prams. To add to the misery, the places where I have stayed in Doha including a hotel apartment had a couple of steps leading down to the road. My child's pram is an suv (a quinny buzz) and it can get really heavy to get down a staircase with a baby in it. I hate repeating myself and sounding pompous and stuck up but in Dubai at least I could do grocery shopping with the baby by walking to the nearest store. Here its like risking his life.

I hope someone who can do something about it is reading this.

I walk a lot - but EVERY time you walk to the local shops etc it is cars hooting or curb crawling..... even though I am dressed head to toe.

Its a bit annoying.

Better lighting on some streets

More green areas (like aspire)

Stop cars parking and driving on the pavement..... pardon me for wishing to walk car free on a pavement.

I have not read all the comments from my fellow Ql members but am giving my comments.. Just in case any of my comments are repeated, plz dont kill me.

ngourlay: you are talking about pavemants and what would happen if any SUV (u know what I am referring to) tries to get on the pavement.. remember it happens all the times. So with pavements we also need to do something with these jokers.

2) get more busses and bus routes or maybe trams

3) I surely would love to see a competition to Karwaa taxi fleet

..**.. ""They walk among us. They vote & they even reproduce"" ..**..

So right. Not having foot bridges or underpasses is criminally negligent on behalf of authorities.

The salwa road is in effect a massive river from the ramada signals all the way past the industrial area without a single crossing point.

Not only is this dangerous but it is damaging to the economy. If people were able to cross the road then it would be possible to shop both sides in the same visit.

As I understand it a footbridge was being built but was removed on the instructions of the emir for being unsightly. No doubt he feels responsible for the number of injuries that must occur to those brave enough to cross.

They won't demolish Doha and rebuild it. That would be too hard. Which is why the Lusail project is underway. Much easier to just build a new capital, which is what Lusail will be in the next 10 years.

To me the reason why there is little in the way of pedestrian infrastructure is that there are few reasons for people to walk.

I used to walk everywhere back in Australia. In fact I never even owned a car. So most of my walking was to and from public transport, of which there is none in Doha.

I would frequently walk to the shop, and I do that here too. There is a small shop on almost every corner in most neighbourhoods. Sure the footpaths aren't great and the lighting maybe poor, but it's still easier to walk than to drive. People generally choose not to walk because of the heat, not because of the footpathes.

Recreational walking in Doha is limited to the Corniche, Aspire or a handful of other places around town. People won't suddenly start going for a leisurely stroll around their neighbourhood if you built footpathes because the urban environment is simply too unpleasent. There are no trees, heavy, smelly traffic and cars honking all the time. It's not just the lack of footpathes, but the whole deal.

I totally agree that in some places more can and should be done to pedestrianise some parts of Doha, such as around City Center and surrounding the Corniche. But within the urban built environment more generally (areas such as Mansoura, Al Sadd etc) it will be a tough problem to fix.

there should me more pavements and pedestrian crossings

they can create footover briges to cross the road in high traffic areas.

I used to go for walk in corniche but there is no pedestrian crossing in that are and more over the road will be full of traffic. it is very dangerous to cross the road there. Now i used to take car and make a u turn and park there, even though it is walkable distance to corniche.

In the 1970s in London, they had a similar problem. The city was being taken over by the car, and there wasn't a safe route anymore to walk from one place to another. Someone came up with a plan, which was to create a footpath that went past most of the sights of London, and this became known as the silver jubilee walk (1977 was the 25th anniversary of the queen's coronation).

Anyway, it would be a start, wouldn't it, linking a few of the tourist sites by a safe pedestrian route. It's stupid that you can't walk from the Souq Waqif past the Emiri Diwan to the Corniche without risking your neck. All it would take is a couple of footbridges and maybe 100 yards of additional pavement.

--nigel

http://qatarjournal.com/

can i suggest less labourers wandering the streets...or designate a walking place free from people lurking and trying to tease people...

footbridges that would make all malls interlinked like for example giant-hyatt-villagio....it's like a small tunnel (or bridge), where you pass walking to get to another mall or place..

[img_assist|nid=12867|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.

I think you've just about covered it Nigel - pavements and footbridges would make walking around a lot easier. Protective barriers along the pavements would be good as well. And more traffic light controlled crossings.

A good example of where all of the above would be appreciated is the road outside the front of City Center. I live about 200 yards down the road and regularly walk to the shopping mall. This involves crossing the 6 lane carriage way (which is always busy) and walking along the side of the road because there are no pavements on either side. It is actually safer to walk up the central reservation (but it ruins the flowers!).

There is a zebra crossing, but I'd be stood there all day waiting for people to stop because they either don't see, don't know what it means or ignore it.

What annoys me even more is that they have advertising campaigns saying how dangerous it is to cross roads where there isn't a crossing, but they don't provide sufficient alternatives to stop people doing it. And now you can be fined for doing that, and for walking up the central reservation.

The whole city seems to have been designed without even considering that some people might like/need to walk somewhere. At many of the hotels and apartment blocks they don't have pedestrian access, so you have to walk up the same entrance road the cars use.

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http://tall-and-ginger.blogspot.com

u hav a uppa coffee and lemme enjoy my walk. I knw wat u r gonna miss!!

Demolish the whole city and and then rebuild it again.

If u want to walk its best to walk facing the car coming towards u and not in the same direction as the car this way they wont be able to stop and talk with you

[img_assist|nid=50852|title=hmm|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]

I would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here

Than a whole truck load when I'm gone

When I came to Doha, I realised its looked down upon by many people when u walk down the road with groceries in ur hand. I mean Y? Walking is the best exercise one can do and especially when i live so close to the mall y whould I take a cab or a car ? I am gonna change rules.. Iam gonna walk ...its the best time of the year in doha !!! cummon lets walk!! Y walk on treadmills in gym ? when u can breathe in so much fresh air while walking.

I am gonna walk .. Are U game???

flying from road

that is best way for our health and welth

I have to walk up to the Hamad to get the bus every day. There used to be a pedestrian crossing by the Ambulance station but about a month ago they put a fence up in front of it. Just across the dip in the pavement by the zebra crossing. Why???

just to be fair: drivers here are much more polite than elsewhere ( that I've visited) They most of the time stop and let you cross safely. Now , about having a walk. I think it depends on the place where you want to have it. Not on highways I hope :D

Some are Wise ... Some are ...Otherwise

just dont think tats not gud, this is not gud...be satified with what u got here and jst walk...u will feel really very comfortable

Just Demolish the whole city again and start from the beginning...

Did I read sidewalks and pedestrian bridges?

Boy! Let me have some of that wonder drugs you are inhaling..I forgot is wonder boy news reporter dreaming again.

Is it just me reading this or is just a dream, I'm living?

The Red Pope of Qatar Living

Not to mention how uncomfortable it is for a female to walk alone in Doha.

Where there are sidewalks - please - no cars zipping up on them to pass slower cars on the road.

Definitely more crosswalks, even elevated in some places. I see kids everyday trying to cross 6 lanes of traffic on Madinat Khalifa and I know one of them is going to get nailed one day.