BY FAZEENA SALEEM
DOHA: Many expatriates as well as some Qataris believe that imposing restrictions on newly arriving foreign workers getting a driver’s licence will not help solve traffic problems, and better public transport services should be provided instead.
“Doha doesn’t have a proper bus service, and few bus routes go through residential areas. I live in Muntazah area and I have to walk a long distance to get a bus, and taxis rarely pass by the place. It would be very difficult for me to commute without a car. It will be the same for anyone coming to live here unless the public transport system is upgraded,” said a marketing professional living here with his family.
Some people are of the opinion that the proposal will not get implemented as it is not practical.
“We all need drivers, or must drive at least during emergencies. No family would accept this restriction. People will complain and they will remove the restrictions,” said a university student who was born and raised in Doha. “Restricting people from getting a driver’s licence is not a solution to traffic problems. A proper metro system can be the solution, and they are working on a railway project, so we will have to wait for it, although the population is increasing by the day,” she added.
Some expatriates say it is unfair to deny a driver’s licence to someone as it could put them in trouble.
“Regulating the rules would not help improve the traffic conditions in Doha. It’s unfair to prevent someone getting a driver’s licence when there is no proper public transport,” said a communications specialist from Lebanon.
Another Arab expatriate living here for the past three years said, “Officials should find more appropriate methods to improve traffic conditions. Limiting the number of driver’s licences can be a solution once the metro project is implemented, not otherwise.”
Some others said Qatar should learn lessons from other countries that have many foreign workers.
“First, the country should have a proper public transport system; then they can restrict the number of cars and drivers. It’s implemented in countries like Singapore. They import a limited number of cars every year, but buses there come near your homes,” said a media professional living here for more than ten years.
Some Qataris fear that the proposed restrictions on issuing of new driver’s licences, if implemented, would prevent them from getting drivers for their families and companies.
“I wonder how it will be implemented, because most Qataris have domestic drivers and all of their businesses need drivers. Some require few but some others need many,” said a young Qatari woman working in a semi-government organisation.
A Qatari professional working for an oil and gas company said, “I would really like to see Doha roads with less traffic, but there should be practical solutions. Just preventing newly arriving people getting a driver’s licence wouldn’t help unless we have a plan for how they would commute. If we have a proper bus or train service, I am sure many people wouldn’t buy a car.”
THE PENINSULA
