Govt. school principals suggest making use of buses mandatory to reduce traffic congestion

Around 55 percent of students use cars for transportation, they say

NT Bureau

DOHA: A number of government school principals have called on the authorities to study requiring all students to use buses to go to schools as a practical solution to end traffic congestion around schools in the early morning hours and at the end of school hours.

They said in remarks to Al-Raya newspaper that the percentage of students who use buses to reach schools does not exceed 45 percent, while about 55 percent of students use private cars, which contribute to a stifling traffic congestion, given that the average number of students in one school is 1,000 students, which means more than 500 cars trying to reach the school.

They pointed out that the mandatory use of buses will contribute directly to reducing traffic congestion around schools, as well as traffic congestion in the main streets, in addition to preventing students from being late in the morning.

This also removes the burden of transportation on the guardian, whether by driving himself or providing more than one driver and a car to take his children to school.

They noted the importance of changing the culture of not using public buses, even though everyone uses buses and all public transportation during travel abroad, with the difference being that the level of public transportation in the country is the best, and it is also free without any fees for Qatari students.

They explained that it is possible to dispense with 300 cars from the streets to transport students to school by using only 10 buses. All buses use the highest level of safety and security in addition to the continuous presence of the supervisor, the school principals said, according to Al Raya report.

Jamal Al-Jaber, Director of Talha Bin Obaidullah Preparatory School for Boys, pointed out the importance of obliging students of all public schools to use buses as a means of transportation to and from school in light of the continuing traffic congestion and the daily congestion of cars around schools, especially in areas that have three or four schools in the same vicinity.

Fahd Ahmed Al Derham, Director of Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Secondary School for Boys, pointed out that 40 percent of school’s students use buses, which is equivalent to only 300 students, and 500 students use cars, which causes great congestion around the school.