The launch of a new traffic signal at Katara Roundabout in West Bay has spurred an outpouring of complaints from Qatar residents who say they have been caught in extra-long traffic jams this weekend.
The signal, which went live on Thursday morning, has been causing backups particularly during peak hours for those heading away from the Pearl-Qatar and Lagoona Mall and toward Katara, motorists said on Twitter:
Lusail Expressway
Traffic jams in the Pearl area have been common for months as Ashghal works to create a new QR3.5 billion Lusail Expressway, which is expected to be completed in 2017.
But motorists did see some relief two weeks ago when a new signal began functioning near the entrance/exit to the Pearl.
Before the launch of the “smart” traffic lights, a roundabout had temporarily managed traffic. But residents lauded the new junction for cutting congestion and confusion in the area.
Were you caught up in traffic by Katara this weekend? Thoughts?
Well that must be the work of some genius expats on fat salaries who thought they are coming here to bring development to the country. Sometimes I understand and I agree with many Qataris on how they perceive some expats.
There is a Qatari at the head of all gov departments is there not?
He bears some of the responsibility but his task is not to tell engineers how to do their jobs properly. It is their fault primarily.
Most of the signal implementation is now Qatari or at least not Western expat as you put it. They still buy their systems but Ashgal does this sort of thing increasingly on its own and is full of Qatari engineers. 5 years ago you could blame the white expat, but not anymore.
Sometimes Ashgal gets things right, sometimes it doesn’t, but what it doesn’t seem to do is go around blaming everyone else.
With the current number of projects under Asghal I don’t think A status are managing more than ten percent of them. Asghal is still heavily relying on expats
Not so much the “expats on fat salaries” you are referring to. Plenty of regional and South Asian expats, though.
You seem to have an issue with expats from Asia. Is it because they are more talented but get a lower salary than most “White” expats?
You seem to have an issue with people from MENA and South Asia. Racism wouldn’t get you anywhere man! Actually it weakens your argument.
I am confused by your posts. In many you suggest that you are an expat and yet you still seem to loathe expats. Are you undecided?
I am an expat and my experience here in 4 years is that many expats are useless. In my previous job in the government, you could fire half of them overnight and the work will still be done.
I would suggest then that those doing the hiring are hiring the wrong people. That makes them incompetent and not those hired.
Of course. The whole hiring process (and the HR department in general) was a joke.
Both other expats?
Deleting the rest of this thread because it has nothing to do with the story.
A department is full of Qataris only when the outcome is bad, ya we get you David. HATER!
Yeah, because that is EXACTLY what I wrote. I hope whoever paid for your education got a refund.
Get the f out of this country dude, do us all a favor and go somewhere where you are welcomed. Your defiantly not welcomed here with that mentality of yours. Oink Oink.
Sabina, surely this needs to be deleted?
Why, how does it violate the terms of use?
The name Fukpigs is a play on a vulgarity and his sentence is a personal attack including vulgarity. That should cover it I think.
Ah, I see, reasonable. I thought that you did like the cartoon, which was quite humorous.
I like pigs, it’s where bacon comes from. You should try it
Is that Muslim Rage Boy, or a look alike?
You seem to think that oink oink is an insult. You are mistaken.
Blocking for trolling. Man, people were feeling salty this weekend!
Deleting for attack.
some of these posters need to learn from ashghal then 😛
He signs off therefore he bears all the responsibility. One can delegate authority but not responsibility.
You seem confused here. The project manager is responsible for delivering a failed project. His Qatari boss is responsible for signing off on a project that was not properly prepared. He bears part of the responsibility. However, his Qatari boss might have signed off on a properly planned project. It was all messed up in the implementation phase under the responsibility of the project manager.
I get your point but I wouldn’t put all the blame on the Qatari boss unless he was involved in the project and imposed some bad choices.
Don’t bother explaining anything, ray7 nafsik.
Not at all Yacine, I agree with you that the people under him may have done their jobs incorrectly however the boss is the boss and is responsible for all work done under him and to which he signs his name. He is the responsible person in his department. As I said, authority is delegated but never responsibility.
As a PM I totally agree with that. Biggest problems that I encounter are that I receive improperly planned projects based on poor briefs to implement, contracts that are a combination of shockingly worded and insanely one-sided, ludicrously optimistic programmes, and finally intervention including 180 degree changes of mind by the Client.
True, but here we are talking about the wrong implementation of a traffic light. It is not a big deal and it is clear that the team charged with the implementation did something wrong. Anyway, regardless of whose fault here, let’s hope Ashghal at least learns from its mistake and takes the right actions in the future.
You say that like it’s a bad thing!!
I know an expat traffic engineer who works for Ashgal. He often wonders why he gets paid because his advice is seldom taken.
He must be one of those who suggested the cycling tracks near AlWaab or in AlThumama. If that is the case I understand why his ideas are ignored.
ditto
So people like Yacine can scapegoat him.
So are you planning to cheer the overpaid expat every time something goes right, or are they only relevant when you need a scapegoat on which to take out your own personal failures and frustrations?
And if some guy gets paid three times his normally salary to do a mediocre job, who’s the real idiot? Him or the guy who hired him and keeps him?
No. They are hired to do a good job, not a bad or an average one. So there is no point cheering when they do a good job. That’s what they are for.
I think you’ve successfully summarized why you are not in upper management and appear bitter towards those who are advancing.
Deleting for irrelevance, and subsequent thread.
So me talking about the poor performances of Ashghal and its expat workers is irrelevant, while the other down there is talking about apartments in Manhattan and you find it relevant? No comment?
you should know whats trendy & makes a good comment on DN
1-QATARIS & QATAR bashing
2-anti arab/muslim comments
use those you will be fine here
I didn’t delete all the Ashghal remarks.
Why anyone would want to live in the pearl is beyond me.
why doha news wants to report about the pearl is beyond me. 😛
Rich white people and their first world problems…..
smack down
Deleting for stereotyping
What gets me is that an apartment in the pearl costs about as much as one in Manhattan.
The difference is that the housing cartel in Doha would be illegal in Manhattan.
Manhattan is (more or less) a free market. Doha is not. That’s why lots of foreigners will pay the premium to live in Manhattan, whereas very very very few will do so in Qatar.
As someone who is going to live in NYC, Manhattan in few months for grad study, I know you’re lying.
Good apartments in downtown/midtown NYC cost 3500-5500 USD/month for small 1BD apartment. Definitely the pearl isn’t that expensive.
I wasnt talking about rentals.
you said an apartment in the pearl cost as much as one in Mnahattan, wth else could that mean?!
My house costs more than his.
My rent costs more than his.
Either one.
Cost as in to purchase. And I said “about as much”, not exactly as much.
if we stretch the definition of “as much” to this scale, it losses all its meanings.
You are pulling numbers out of your bum – see here: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-12/manhattan-studios-set-rent-record-as-tenants-go-small
“while (median) rents for one-bedrooms rose 9.4 percent to $3,400 (QR12,410),
both the highest in more than seven years of record-keeping.”
Median
is the exact middle of the price range. So no, the minimum is not
$3,500 as you claim. In fact, the article goes on to cite another report
finding that the average rent for a 1BR in Manhattan is $2,893 (QR
10,560).
Meanwhile, looking here https://www.propertyfinder.qa/search?l=1.56&q=&c=2&t=&rp=m&pf=&pt=&bf=1&bt=1&af=&at=
you will see that rents for 1BR in the Pearl range from QR11,000 –
QR17,000. Or in USD that’s $3,000 to $4,660. Most seem to be going for
around QR12,000 ($3,300)
So the claim that Pearl apartments are as expensive to rent as those in Manhattan are in fact accurate.
Good day
Perhaps your brain is located inside your bum to think like that. I said “Good apartment,” I’m not comparing median prices for Qatar and Manhattan and it is idiotic to compare Pearl vs NYC median as they are not on the same par.
Hey @ShabinaKhatri:disqus by your logic how is this relevant?
It is 5 degrees cooler the moment you get onto The Pearl, it has lot’s of water around it, it has lot’s of green space, it has little dust (except that which blows in), it’s kept very clean, I don’t have to pay for it….
The only meaningful reason is the last one…
Not really, I had the choice between a 3 story, 6 bedroom, 6 bathroom villa in the dust or a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom apartment on The Pearl surrounded by water – I chose to be near the water.
It really is much nicer.
I think Yacine is pointing out that you wouldn’t have to pay for that 3 story villa either.
Why don’t they learn from traffic authority in Abu Dhabi or Dubai?
I think the traffic problem remains unfixed because Ashghal hasn’t employed me as CEO of roads. The first thing I would do is remove the Qataris who spend their time circling roundabouts as if its a hobby. Especially the mini roundabout in the Pearl near Nandos and Novo cinemas. If I got 1 riyal for every time I saw the same car driving in circles I would own a Rolls Royce by now with a license plate number of 1000. I would reduce the size of the remaining roundabouts which are so big the entire road is a roundabout island. Then I would remove all the people who cannot drive, so that would leave maybe 10 cars on the road. Traffic problem solved.
It’s the Qataris every single time. When will they understand!
Genius. I wonder how the Japanese Ashghal hasn’t hired you yet.
Deleting for stereotyping.
I will tell you why my wife and I live in the Pearl, because there is a sense of community within our tower and you can walk to all of the ‘day to day’ things you may need. Of course it has issues, but the noise from the traffic has improved dramatically in the last 2 years since we moved in.
As regards the traffic issue, I have seen plenty of problems when new traffic lights are installed in many parts of the world. What will be interesting is how long it takes for the problem to be resolved.
Everyone can come up with reasons that might sounds logical/compelling when it comes to living in the Pearl. The point is, it remains a poor idea and a huge waste of money. The sense of community, the possibility to walk and all that bla bla is meaningless. You are lying to yourself and the real reason is that you want to say in front of your friends and colleagues that you live in the Pearl!
It is all about showing off eventually!
why the prejudice?
Jealousy. Also very angry about fellow expats being paid more.
You are funny 🙂
How about the fact that it’s actually the only place in Qatar where you can actually WALK out of your flat and not be hit (immediately..) by a car?
I bet you that most people living in the Pearl don’t want Luxury but Normal.
Exactly this
“remains a poor idea and a huge waste of money” is YOUR opinion. Everyone has THEIR opinions on living in the Pearl, and what YOU think (or in this case, your rationale) does not necessarily apply to what OTHERS think.
To put it in perspective, a deprived man may consider buying a car as a “huge waste of money” when compared to his income. Does that necessitate YOU, a car owner, to think within the same rationale? By all means this does not imply me calling anyone poor; it is merely to demonstrate the point that everyone’s rationale will vary, yet that shouldn’t be a reason to judge others.
Besides, even IF Masboro lived in the Pearl to show off, that is with his own earned income to which you have no rights to dictate on what purpose he will be spending it on.
I think you are bit off-mark here. Nobody is debating people’s right to live wherever they want and spend their money as they wish. We’ve had the story of locals spending a ton of money on vanity number plates, and I had a similar opinion on it. You can live wherever you want, but you cannot prevent me from having the opinion that the place you live in is a shithole.
Finally that awful roundabout has gone. No doubt it’s the Qataris who are complaining because now they have to sit and wait like the rest of us and can no longer bully their way across the roundabout like they used to. It’s so much safer now, so good riddance!
Just when I thought there wouldn’t be anymore stupid comments!
Deleting for stereotyping.
I wonder how many cars missed the new left hand feeder lane at Katara and then got caught not being able to turn left until they went all the way to the pearl, up around and back again……… Ashgal please, if you read these comments, a simple sign 300m before, say by the Exhibition center would have been useful for us newbies, saying “Warning stay left for Duhail and Qatar University”. On a cheerful, non-racial, non- stereotypical footnote, Shabina seems to be busier editing than ever…………
horror story – but until Ashghal stop sweeping up the guys who just manage for a living instead of employing those who do and are accountable – you will always get second rate strategies and proposals
Whoever is responsible for making this chaos (expat or Qatari) failed. ONE LOOK at the intersection’s map says enough: a spaghetti of roads (in 3D).
Goes back to a previous discussion a couple months back. Pearl is one way in- one way out. The more residents they get, the worse the traffic will be. Simple volume logic.
Interesting… everyone blaming everyone else for the issue, except themselves. Drive properly, obey the road rules, don’t block the effing intersection! This weekend the police had to close the roundabouts, and be present to keep people clear of the intersections.
I will give it, the timing of the lights (phasing) could do with some work, but like all lights in this country the phases are incredibly long so people sit and look at their phones.
The slip lane towards QU from Lagoona / TPQ could be longer so the traffic that way could filter out without getting stuck in the red phase. The 3 lanes to 2 lanes just where Lagoona flow joins before Diplomatic Club R/A is ridiculous, but evident all over Doha Roads. The 3 Lane turn from QU direction to TPQ that immediately goes to 2 lanes is likewise ridiculous.
As some have said, signage could be greatly improved, but I don’t think it helps when everyone is in the wrong lane to start with and looking at their bloody phones all the time (pet peeve!).
But over all of this remember this is a temporary road alignment as the roadworks progress, so it will change. Hyundai (the road contractor), CDM Smith (Supervision Consultant?) and Ashghal are doing a good job in a congested construction area (Metro/LRT + Lusail Expressway). Be thankful it’s 2 lanes and not just 1!
Final comment: Us as drivers have just one task: Driving. Do that and leave the phone in the pocket / handbag, concentrate on the road and select the correct lane for where you want to go, be considerate and it’ll all go smoother. All the “f*ck you, me first” driving attitude gets us all no-where fast.