A curb on driver's licences for expatriates?
It may not be easier any more for newly-arriving foreign workers to acquire a Qatari driver’s licence as the authorities are mulling imposing restrictions to help ease increasing traffic chaos and snarls on Doha roads.
The Ministry of Interior has been closely monitoring driving schools and asking them to keep under check their appetite to enrol more and more learners.
Already, foreign workers who are here on temporary project visas are not being issued driver’s licences any more.
A high-profile committee with members from the Ministry of Interior, Advisory Council, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning and Public Works Authority (Ashghal) was set up to study the problem of traffic jams and come out with permanent solutions.
Among the various aspects studied by the committee was the policy of issuing driver’s licences to expatriates.
The committee has called for a review of this policy. It has recommended a number of other measures to control the traffic situation on the Doha roads.
Among its key recommendations is that only certain categories of foreign workers arriving in the country afresh should be issued driver’s licence.
The committee has held five meetings and among those who have attended was the Minister of State for Interior Affairs H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani.
The Advisory Council had some of its internal services and public amenities committee members on this influential panel.
The Council yesterday discussed the recommendations of the panel and passed them unanimously to be forwarded to the State Cabinet.
As a permanent solution, it has been suggested by the committee to decentralise commercial activities from Doha and build multi-layered parking lots in the capital city.
All government ministries and offices have similar work timings and this is one of the reasons of traffic snarls.
A separate committee that looked into the problem of traffic jams has identified 138 vulnerable spots across Doha.
According to the Ministry of Interior, on the Doha roads daily, there are about 876,000 cars on average on week days, 700,000 motorists, 1,553 school buses, and 153 public transport buses.
The road near the Ramada Hotel that leads to Salwa Road has been identified as a major bottleneck, as also the Corniche Road that witnesses a lot of snarls during peak hours due to some roundabouts still being there. They are to be changed into traffic lights intersections.
The rise in traffic snarls across Doha has been attributed to the exploding population of people and vehicles in the country.
Source: http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/239878-curbs-likely-on-driving-licenc...
govt shud emphasize on LRT in different parts. its a perfect solution of Mass transit Program and reducing cars on the road. it will be a cost effective and long term solution. follow the singapore and malaysia model as study
About Bicycle... it is a utopia for the following reasons:
1. No infrastructure - no lanes
2. No ethical / cautious drivers - with the kind of drivers we have on the road.. no way !!
3. High temp - nobody going to ride a bicycle in 45 degree or above
If a law is passed without the provision of public transportation I believe the expat quality would drop even more... i mean you will probably still have some labourers.... but that's about it... not western expats anyways.
1. First of all this articles focussed on infrastructure projects rather than refusing to issue licenses....
2. If you take licenses away from expat then why should not you remove it from locals as well... are we promoting uneuqality ? The criteria should not be based on nationality, religion or country of origin... should be something better... like 1 car per family
3. If license issue gets curb then at a very minimum Qatar state needs to provide excellent public transportation... and companies should allow work from home days
I actually dont mind public transportation at all.. love Dubai's skytrain.
Yeah thats right people with ten years of driving experience and without a university degree should be banned from the roads, and allow 16 year old mindless locals to drive land cruisers. Seems like a bright ideea
at last... they notice after so many months already... actually years already
Enforce the laws now in place equitably.
It wouldn't stop the traffic chaos, even they stop at this time, it's too late, there is already a lot of expatriates have their Qatar Drivers Licence. also another problem, a lot of uneducated drivers on the roads, who especially blocks the intersections during traffic.
nofatheratu's fake profile shows Afghanistan as nationality lol!
He doesnt have a father, poor nofatheratu!
Nofatheratu sounds like an Indian probly from Kerala hahaha!
Or maybe he's Egyptian but he knows that his real(biological) dad is hindi. Is that why you are so p!ssed?
They should start getting rid of illegal transportation in Qatar (carlift). It is still very much rampant. They are present in Supermarkets, so they should start from there. Every driving school must be given a fixed number of licenses to be issued per month, because right now, everyone can apply for a license, as long as the requirements are complete.
oh nuwan.karunatilaka, does that mean they've to stop issuing license to your dad ? Now you decide if he was an Egyptian or an Indian ...
Blame everything on expats.
My personal opinion is that there would be a lot less traffic, accidents and road rage incidents if they stopped issuing licences to Egyptians and Indians.
hehehe @ nomerci! Where's that petition, I'd sign it! hehehe
oh landloverreview... we didn't ask to be gorgeous, we were blessed! =P
Dear Ministry of Transport
Please deport all the beautiful ladies as they are the main distraction. :)
Brit......Dear Ministry of Transport,
please make all Brits walk on foot from now on, as they are the reason for all those useless roundabouts in Qatar :P
Ps...it will also boost sales in sun block cream. :)
hehehehe oh shush!!
You know very well round-abouts in a small street is a waste of space... I only like the pretty ones on AlCornishe. =P
Dear Ministry of Transport
Please do not issue driving licenses to Americans. They do not understand the beauty of Roundabouts :O(
Curbing licenses is not the answer. Here are a few suggestions:
1. A better public transit system. Karwa is a complete & utter joke. Also, not so safe for the ladies. I'm looking forward to the metro.
2. HOV (high occupancy vehicles) lanes! In California, there are designated lanes on highways/freeways & main roads similar to C-Ring for cars with over two passengers. This lane works wonders especially during peak hours and encourages co-workers to commute together.
3. Obviously Qatar is under construction! There will always be traffic but not announcing when & where one area will start it's share adds to the congestion.
4. PLEASE REMOVE ALL ROUND ABOUTS! I said "PLEASE". =)
Anjummukri I wouldn't classify drivers by gender... although I would by country of origin:)
why 3000-4000? get 15000-20000:P
Change the traffic light systems. Most traffic lights are timed and designed to respond in an optimal way to average traffic patterns. The problem is that there typically are not any average patterns. Traffic volume varies greatly no matter what day or time it is. If too many vehicles have to wait at red lights for too long, it can lead to traffic congestion and gridlock. Traffic lights that are designed to respond to underground sensors when a car is actually present, as opposed to those run by automatic timers, can decrease waiting times at red lights.
The whole traffic jam on corniche is due to the main commercila hub designed on the corner of corniche. instead of not giving driving license,Ministry should either change the timeings or they should set the offices at different locations. I hope Ministry takes this action instead of not providing Licenses.
by reduceing DL they can reduce cars on road and they should make a target to reduce 25000 car per year on road .by 2022 there be only few cars on road and 90% popoulation will be walking on roads!!!!!!
by 2022 only Fifa staff and plays can drive on road!!!!!!!
Here's a wheeze of an idea - Car pooling.
During peak hours , people must share cars. This will not only ease congestion, but also lead to friendships and happiness.
How people thinks here?
Why traffic? Coz more vehicles; why more vehicles? coz more drivers? Why more drivers? how to handle this problem?
# Put restriction on getting license for expatriates; No drivers-No vehicles and Generate money by many re-tests.
# Ban all the vehicles registered before 2005.
# Accommodate staff above or next to office and industries,
# Collect entry fees is malls and parks,
# Collect tax based on no. of vehicles from the company.
How rest of the world thinks?
# Improve public transportation system. More buses, many routes. Encourage them to travel in group.
# Build over bridges and subways.
# Make way to walk and cycle.
5) All schools are having same timing or nearly same. in india we have different school Timing like 7 o clock , 8 o clock and are 9 clock in the morning. Some secondary schools will be in Afternoon session like from 1.00 o clock to 5 o clock. Same for Colleges.
Government Office :
The timing are same with school timing hence double traffic. Both going and coming timing are almost same.
Construction Boom :
Due to construction boom - construction site also starting at same time with school childrens. Hence another reason for traffic. Construction workers normally travel to site in this period.
Schools timing and Location :
My personal experience, whenever schools are closed the traffic is ok but as soon as schools start all of a sudden there will be so much traffic chaos :-
Reason :
1) All (Expat) schools are located in same area or forced to be located in same area or nearby area.
2) more than 60%(Approx)of the students are coming by own vehicle. Many locals and rich expats are sending their childrens in pvt vehicle hence creating so much traffic. Most of the time one car one child.
3) Lady drivers are creating another chaos in the traffic.
4) School buses are not professionally run hence parents dont opt for school bus.
Cont...
It is time to Doha to regulate their TRAFFIC
Control the license issue, is not be the solution for traffic jams.
the same time you have to stop to sell the new cars...!!!
is it possible ?????
so instead of thinking this way, Govt should develop the infrastructures to meet the huge requirements,
1. convert all the R/A in to Signals
2. construct over / under bridges
3. expand the track lane with the existing one
4. make awareness to drivers (Particularly for Qataris)to strictly follow the Traffic Rules & Regulations.
5. increase the number of public transports from and to each corner of the city.
6. Strict the Traffic Violation penalties.
It may works to safe & secure drive on Doha ROADS
Gosh... Fix the roads first fast as we are already furious!
Fix the Roads (no more roundabouts)
Firmer Traffic Rules
Fair Implementation of rules
Fewer Accidents
I think a minimum salary for a driving licence is a good idea. Lets set it at 25,000 a month except for family drivers of Qataris
less of us on the roads?
hmm.. the local population will dramatically decrease!
it will be just them getting killed on the roads!
I'd say stop makin yo'self look like fools! 'n just giddy up with the road works.
Tax cannot be levied on petrol or petroleum products.
Elkhorn, about No. 2...and how are those who are not here a year yet get to work in the meantime?
And number 3...how about those employed as drivers, private or by a company, they do not receive 3 or 4000 QR.
1. Place tax on Gasoline, increasing its price 50 - 100%. Then use the tax to develop additional road infrastructure.
2. Allow the issuance of Driver's License only to those who have stayed in the country for at least one year.
3. Similar to Family Visa, institute a minimum salary requirement (maybe at 3000 or 4000) when applying for driver's license.
4. Move industrial facilities way farther, like in Al Khor or Al Mesaieed (including the ports). Promote / push other companies to other cities / areas of Qatar. This will allow decongestion (where people will live near their work) while allowing focus to Develop Qatar as a pure commercial / tourism area.
With some of the drivers you see on the roads here you would think that all they have to do in their home country is learn how to start a car engine and then they are given a licence which then amazingly they can get transferred here with such ease!
One possible solution would be to make certain nationalities that come here that are notoriously bad at driving do another test before they can drive here.
Although maybe this new rule might go someone to helping too.
It will have to get worse before it will be better though with pretty much all roads being rebuilt along with the metro construction at the same time!
Other districts in Qatar such as Wakra,Wukair,Dukhan and Khor need to be developed from an economic and infrastructure point of view as well.Jon_ma has a valid point.Over 80 percent of Qatar's population live in Doha.
by reducing the number of cars on the road, you are freeing up more space so that the cars that are already on the road can speed up even more ?
Does anybody else see that there is something fundamentally wrong with this premise ??
As long as every activities restrict to one core of Doha in Qatar, there would be traffic congestions for sure. I think Qatar has to develop radially and then there wouldn't be people / vehicles moving around in one core but the vehicles will get distributed as well.
Yeah there are fatalities but there are not as extreme as to stop the CARs itself.. this thought is more ridiculous than a terrorist mind (In extremity sense). :)
Nope who is killing each other? The rate of accident is much much much lesser than the rate of cars on road.
Yeah...if everyone has bicyle and no cars or vehicles it will collapse our economy..and then people will start killing each-other for their survival..
Hardly, landlover, hardly .
With bicycles Qatar will look like how France was during French Revolution.
Oh yes theo...it would most likely solve many problems...;)
Brit, can you imagine how very keen expats would be to come here for a brolly and a bicycle ? ;)
Qatar is a small country where the infrastructure is having difficulty in meeting demand.
The answe is simple. Give each expat a bicycle and brolly.
Things are on their way.. 100s of infrastructure projects are in conceptual and tender stage yet.
Nothing to do with rubbish road layouts then...
Not they, he is DOha Socialite (official QL reporter).. source has no picture.. it is always easy to point fingers on others so quickly..
no more renewal of istimara for model below 2005, except RR. :))
Why are they showing a pciture of national day? Thats shows the Qataris as the problem.
I like the idea.
I would go further. On next renewal of RP, the expat must surrender his/her license which will then be ceremoniously shredded.
Very good... :)