DOHA: The newly opened Souq Waqif underground parking facility is proving valuable to many a visitor to one of the busiest souqs in the country.
The first Friday after the multi-level car park opened to the public and coincided with the launch of the souq’s annual Spring Festival served as a litmus test on how effective the new facility is in easing traffic congestions and giving solution to the severe parking space shortage in the most-visited tourist spot.
Before 4pm yesterday the first level of the three-storey underground parking was filled with cars of those who frequent the souq and those who came for the opening of the festival.
There was slight congestion at some points in the facility but staff guided motorists to ensure smooth traffic.
“This new car park is a big help. Before it was a struggle to find a parking slot in the souq despite the existing three parking areas but now it’s much more convenient,” said Noof, a frequent visitor to the souq on Fridays.
The car park has a guiding system, in which a hold indicator is present in every slot which turns red when a vehicle is parked and green when it is empty, making it easy for motorists to identify where to park their vehicles even from a distance.
With a total area of 113,500sqm, the car park has three levels and can accommodate up to 2,000 vehicles at a time. It is equipped with 17 elevators and four entrances and exits. It has three subways, two of which lead to the souq and one linked to the Corniche which eases traffic congestion around the souq, especially during weekends and rush hours.
Above the facility is a public park and a big open air theatre capable of holding events for hundreds of people as well as sport and sitting areas. Several food outlets are also to open soon in the area.
Some people were seen yesterday at the car park availing themselves of fitness facilities similar to those on the Corniche as well as play areas for children, which are carpeted for safety.
The public park offers an alternative venue for visitors in a strategic location as it is a stone’s throw away from the souq and across the Corniche.
The Peninsula
