Dear Sir,

I have been in Qatar for a while now and I fully realise that the authorities are doing their best to regulate the traffic and speed of vehicles on the state’s roads.

Speed breakers to slow vehicle traffic in order to improve safety conditions are common on roads in many countries. Qatar’s roads also have their share of speed breakers.

I would like to request the authorities to make sure that the speed breakers are placed at the most appropriate spots and to provide proper signage about their presence. When drivers enter a new road, they are unaware of the positions of these humps and miss them, especially at night. This risks accidents and damages to vehicles. Therefore I would like to make a few suggestions:

*Make the humps less steeper (more flat and continuous) at all places: this will help reduce the impact on the vehicles.

*Provide reflectors on speed breakers, so the driver could see them.

*Provide signs which are also of the reflective type for early warning of the speed breakers.

Hope this letter makes its impact! 

Jeena

[email protected]

 

 

Carburettor spray abuse

Dear Sir,

The other day I was at a car accessories shop to buy a seat cover for my vehicle. During my half-an-hour time in the shop, I saw at least 10 teenagers coming and asking for something in Arabic and having a heated argument with the salesman at the shop.

Later the salesman explained to me that they had come to buy a carburettor cleaner which sprayed on a towel and then sniffed gives the same effect of using drugs.

As there is no control on such sprays, its abuse is apparently becoming very common. Authorities concerned must investigate this and take steps to stop this substance abuse.

BK

(Full name and e-mail address supplied)