Traffic congestion and crowding at the Old Airport Commercial Street were addressed by the Central Municipal Council (CMC) at its meeting on Tuesday.
The council issued a number of recommendations on the issue to the entities concerned. The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) should review the licences given to car wash outlets on the street and check whether they have complied with the necessary conditions and regulations, in particular the entry and exit points.
The council was of the view that the car wash outlets could be among the reasons for traffic jam in a busy commercial street, urging the MME to reconsider the process of granting them licences. 
To resolve the issue, the CMC asked both the Traffic Department and the Ministry of Transport and Communications, in co-ordination with the entities concerned, to study the possibility of making it a one-way street from the western side to the eastern side. The road has four entry and exit points, according to the council, which enable motorists to go back to the street when needed. 
Similarly, to address the high population density at the western part of Madinat Khalifa North, the council recommended that the MME should study the possibility of permitting high-rise buildings there instead of the two-storey ones currently. 
Earlier, the council argued that the area has old traditional houses, illegally subdivided for up to 15 families, posing unnecessary overload on public services such as sewage, water and electricity and making roads overcrowded with parked vehicles. However, if the area was transformed into one with multi-storey apartments, it would accommodate adequate number of people in a more orderly way that maintains and preserves public services.
The CMC believes the area is qualified for these due to its proximity to administrative and services centres, making it attractive as a residential destination. 
On the issue of the closure of privately owned and managed petrol stations around the country, the council recommended that the Ministry of Economy and Commerce should study the possibility of introducing practical alternatives for areas where stations were closed, based on the actual needs.
Opening the CMC meeting on Tuesday, chairman Mohamed Hammoud al-Shafi expressed his thanks and appreciation to HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for his efforts that resulted in the safe release of the Qatari citizens kidnapped in Iraq.
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