The busy stretch is used by a large number of commuters and long queues of vehicles are a common sight during peak hours on weekdays. The heavy traffic makes it difficult for the scores of people who have to cross the road to go from a parking lot located on one side to their destination on the other, it is found.
As a result, they have to either walk all the way to the nearest intersection or wait - sometimes for long - for the traffic to thin or stop in order to go to the other side of the road. Some people also cross the road in a risky manner as they do not want any delays in their schedule.
Many of those who visit or work in the area, which is home to a number of government offices as well as private establishments, park their vehicles on the large open ground in the vicinity of the General Post Office before walking across the road. "But doing so is not easy as they have to contend with heavy traffic along the stretch. They have to either spend a lot of time waiting for an opportunity to cross or take their chances by making their way through the traffic, which is risky," said a commuter, urging the authorities concerned to build a bridge across the road in order to make things more convenient and safer for people using the stretch.
While a direct walkway has been provided from the open ground to reach the road, things become difficult there as commuters have to deal with a constant flow of traffic on either side. "Some people decide not to take any chances and walk all the way to the signals to cross the road. A pedestrian bridge on the stretch will solve the problem once and for all," said another resident.
Motorists, too, feel such a bridge is urgently required on the road. "People, especially those in a hurry, will not have to cross the road in a risky and dangerous manner. In turn, it will make driving easier and safer along the stretch," said one of them.
Pedestrians have to deal with heavy traffic while crossing the road, which they sometimes do in a risky way. PICTURE: Jayan Orma
A number of residents who work in the West Bay Tower Zone or visit the numerous offices there have stressed the need for a pedestrian bridge along the stretch of Al Markhiya Street that connects Doha Corniche with Majlis Al Taawon Street.
