Call for more pedestrian bridges in Doha, suburbs

As the installation of a pedestrian bridge across E-Ring Road gains momentum, residents of a number of localities in Doha and its neighbourhood have called for the construction of similar facilities in those areas.
Recently, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) installed the steel structure of the E-Ring Road pedestrian bridge, located between the Al Thumama signal and the intersection where it meets Airport Street.
Ashghal expects the bridge to be ready by the second quarter of 2017.
Sources point out that while people have been calling for a similar bridge in the vicinity of LuLu Hypermarket on D-Ring Road for sometime now, residents and shopkeepers from other parts of Doha — such as Muntazah, New Slata, Bin Mahmoud, Fereej Al Nasr, Al Sadd and Al Hilal — have also highlighted the necessity of installing pedestrian bridges across the arterial and busy C-Ring and D-Ring roads.
The authorities had earlier said there were plans to construct about 160 pedestrian bridges in different parts of Qatar in the coming years. Pedestrian safety has been a major cause for concern and a survey on accidents involving walkers had highlighted the need for better facilities as well as proper road usage awareness among them.
Early this month, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) stressed the need for both pedestrians and motorists to observe safety rules in order to avoid road accidents. The MoI issued an advisory, listing the dos and don’ts for different types of road users.
Meanwhile, a city resident said there is a “greater need for installing pedestrian bridges urgently in places that house government offices frequented by a large number of visitors every day”. This is because many visitors are often forced to park their vehicles on the other side of the road due to lack of space near the offices, he explained, adding that people should have access to convenient and safe road-crossing options.
Some residents felt that pedestrian bridges should also be built near hospitals and clinics located along major roads. There is also a demand for a similar facility near the Medical Commission in Abu Hamour, according to the sources.
“There is a pressing need for pedestrian bridges on a number of roads. These will benefit walkers as well as motorists and provide people with a safe option for crossing busy roads while also making things more convenient,” said another resident.