Authorities have been working hard on solutions. A joint committee was set up under the Traffic Department a few years ago to deal with traffic congestions.
It identified traffic hotspots across the country and suggested solutions, which are being implemented one after the other. Many iconic roundabouts in the city have been converted into intersections.
Since traffic is chaotic on the Corniche road, work is in full swing to convert all roundabouts into intersections, supported by the Intelligent Traffic Systems.
It was expected that once ready, the D-Ring and Salwa underpasses would smoothen traffic in the city. But they have diverted bottlenecks to exit roads. Complaints continue over congestions on the February 22 Street and many exit points on the newly opened Salwa highway face a similar situation.
Traffic in central Doha and the Souq areas has peaked after the summer holidays. Work on the Corniche Street has diverted traffic to all parallel roads.
A senior traffic official has hinted that work will be completed by the end of next month.
There cannot be a single solution to traffic problems in Qatar as about 100,000 new vehicles are on the roads every year and the population is growing fast.
The Qatar National Bank, in a recent report, warned of more congestions on the roads, with the country witnessing a population growth ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Promoting public transport and curtailing private vehicles is an internationally accepted solution to traffic congestions, parking shortages as well as noise and air pollution.
The recent ban on driving licence for certain segments of expatriate workers is considered the first of stringent measures on the anvil to address the issue, while authorities have recommended parking fees in public places and an increase in fuel prices as future solutions.
Most commercial and residential facilities remain concentrated in central Doha, contributing to daily traffic snarls in the area.
There is hardly any room for further expansion of roads and streets.
Underpasses and subways have been considered as solutions but may complicate the situation if the population continues to grow at the current pace.
New districts are being developed on the outskirts of Doha but it may take time to see an actual shift in population density.
A robust public transport, including the proposed metro network, could be a lasting solution.
But its implementation entails renovations, excavations and a lot of construction work becoming a daily routine — and adding to traffic woes on the streets in the city.
