DOHA: Many citizens have complained that errors made while numbering their homes cause them problems when they go to schools, health centres and other government services and utility offices.
The system of providing addresses for homes had been in existence for years and now mistakes in allotting numbers for homes is a new phenomenon due to rapid urbanisation and authorities are slow to cope with huge data being fed into their systems, reports Al Sharq.
One citizen complained that his home in Al Maamoura had been given No. 56 and later authorities changed it to No. 43 but did not notify Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) and other utility and service providers about the change.
Some government agencies still identify the villa as No. 56 while others have changed it to No. 43 in their systems. This led to confusion whenever family members went to hospitals, schools or other centres as these institutions have different number of the villa.
Another common concern expressed by some citizens was with regard to ambulances and emergency service.
They said authorities will face difficulties in locating their homes if the addresses in their systems are not correct, especially during fires or accidents.
“If data entered into the system is wrong and does not match with the directions you are providing to the emergency team, then there could be unnecessary delays,” one citizen said.
He said correct addresses are not only important for firefighters and ambulances but also for providing directions for food or other deliveries.
Citizens asked authorities to clearly identify the types of residences while numbering them, especially whether the building is residential, commercial, a villa or an apartment and include all related features in the GPS and GIS systems. The Peninsula
