As it was built to ease traffic congestion, everybody had hoped that February 22 Street would be a blessing. The objective was to reduce travel time by at least half an hour. But drivers are now suffering from congestion on the street and complaining about frequent accidents that take place under and over the bridge.
The Ministry of Interior posts news of traffic violations, accidents and congestion on Twitter. People follow these posts on their smartphones. Do we follow such posts on Twitter to keep track of what is happening on Qatar’s streets?
Have you ever been stalled on the bridge knowing nothing about what is happening ahead of you? Have you ever been drained of energy after an exhausting day’s work waiting for the road to get clear? Have you ever been accompanied by children or an elderly person, waiting desperately for the way to get clear? All of us have experienced these situations. What really bothers me are the faces of tired people and worried children. Do we consider this daily toil a civilized aspect of life in Qatar?
It is not a civilised circumstance to be stuck in traffic. Certainly, it is not acceptable as it is a waste of time. We usually start an hour early to be on time for our appointments. It is a mess when an hour is wasted in traffic. In such a scenario, we could be spending all our time outdoors!
Two questions come to one’s mind here: Can this problem be sorted out, and when will it end? In my opinion, there should be a provision for diverting traffic when a road gets blocked due to an accident. The traffic police should stop traffic on the street if a fatal crash occurs. Motorists should take routes leading away from the traffic jam. People should not be stuck in their cars, crammed between concrete walls or held up on a bridge that has no exit.
In case of minor accidents, the crash scene can be marked with tape so that traffic on the rest of the road is not disrupted. I wish drivers would not get out of their cars to take a closer look at accident-hit vehicles. We should remember it is a tragic accident, not a Hollywood movie!
