Call for permanent Woqod fuel stations at Al Shamal

By Ayman Adly/Staff ReporterPermanent Woqod fuel stations should be established at Al Shamal area to cater to the rising demand there, the Central Municipal Council (CMC) recommended yesterday at its regular session.  The CMC lauded the quick response of Qatar Fuel (Woqod) in providing three mobile petrol stations at Al Shamal but hoped that a permanent station would be established soon. The Council also recommended that more mobile stations should be sent to the outskirts of the country due to the lack of an adequate number of fuel stations. Woqod should take into consideration the necessary future expansions due to the growing population and resultant increase in the number of vehicles.The CMC asked the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning (MMUP) to instruct the owners of private fuel stations around the country to maintain them properly and update their services, with special focus on safety and security procedures.The Council also issued various recommendations regarding the phenomenon of abolishing service lanes or emergency parking lanes on various roads in the country to expand them. It stressed that such practice may result in more congestion in case of accidents, especially major road traffic accidents. Accordingly, better alternatives should be adopted by the competent authorities. Earlier, CMC Services and Public Utilities Committee hosted officials from the Traffic Department and MMUP to discuss the issue. They said that this practice is a temporary solution to give more room for more vehicles on the roads. There is a comprehensive and integrated plan for better traffic circulation in the country still under implementation such as the upgrading of the country’s roads, new network of expressways, the metro, and routes designated for public buses. When complete, this would considerably ease the situation. The officials pointed out that the plan envisages 20% of the transport load in the outskirts of the country on the public transportation means, 80% on the highways network. Inside Doha city, the load would be 40% for public transportation and 60% on the internal roads in Doha. For instance, the February 22nd Street will have seven lanes in the future with five for light vehicles and two for trucks. Similarly, Thumama roundabout will have a flyover and a tunnel. The CMC discussed a suggestion to ease the process of granting building licences in Al Khor to include administrative offices. CMC member Hamad Lahdan al-Muhannadi said that the area experiences a severe shortage in office space, making rental rates rise substantially. He suggested that the rules to grant building licences should be more flexible and allow two and three-storey building to have office spaces, instead of the current applicable rule of limiting this to one-storey buildings. Another suggestion was raised by CMC member Mohamed al-Shafi regarding the Industrial Area of Umm Al Zubara. He said that the local developers should be given an extended contract of 20 years instead of the current period of one year to encourage them to invest in the area. Besides, MMUP should provide the area with the adequate infrastructure and services due to the growing business and number of workers there. CMC member Mohamed bin Zafir al-Hajiri pointed out that the farms at Al Shahania need more services, especially good roads and street lighting to maintain better security and safety for its increasing population. He stressed that such farms need urgent support to improve production, instead of being used as labour accommodation.