The Ministry of Interior is setting up a Traffic Control office to monitor collisions and congestion on roads across the country as part of its National Command Center, Arabic newspaper Al Raya reports.

Major Ali Mohamed al-Muhannadi, director of the Technical Affairs division, said in remarks translated by Gulf Times:

“The building will be equipped with facilities to monitor traffic in the entire network of roads in the country and provide information on all aspects of safety and security in the country.”

He added that the project, codenamed “Safety Star,” would be operational “within two years from now.”

The Ministry of Interior signed an agreement with the Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (formerly the QU Wireless Innovations Center) last month to trial its real-time traffic monitoring software suite and Al-Muhannadi confirmed QMIC’s applications would be incorporate into the new control center.

QMIC’s Intelligent Transportation Solution and Applications (Masarak) has been under development for the past three years, and the center itself is a collaboration between Qatar University and the Qatar Science and Technology Park, so it’s very much a homegrown product. 

New diversion

In other traffic-related news, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced new road work at the Wholesale Market roundabout in Abu Hamour from Salwa Road, and those driving through the area will be diverted to newly-installed traffic lights.

Credit: Photo by Omar Chatriwala