Illegally parked dumper trucks beside Hassan Bin Thabit street off C Ring Road and behind Gulf Times office in Doha

Doha

The law banning parking of certain types of heavy vehicles anywhere in Doha City and its suburbs is being violated blatantly, residents and business owners from various locations have complained.
The ban, announced by the Traffic Department, came into effect from January 30, 2014. Law number 19 for the year 2007 and its amendments, especially article number 77, bans the parking of trucks, machineries, equipment vehicles and tractors or any mechanical vehicles including trailers or trailer engines, is prohibited in Doha city and its suburbs.
The areas covered by the ban include Doha, Lusail, Gharrafa, Wajba, Muaither, Rayyan, Airport, Hilal and Mesaimeer areas. Parking for loading and unloading of goods is exempt from the ban.
“Though the Traffic Department has erected boards announcing the ban at many open grounds in and around Doha, some operators of heavy vehicles seems to have made it a habit to park their vehicles, sometimes for days on end at certain open areas where these boards are yet to be installed,” said a business owner who has an office in the vicinity of Hassan Bin Thabit Street, off C Ring Road.
The open ground in question is directly behind the Gulf Times office on C Ring Road. At least half a dozen big dumper trucks have been parked on this ground for the past week, robbing the badly needed parking space for employees and visitors to various offices in the area.
“Of late, some big dumper trucks are seen parked even on the parking bays on either sides of the Hassan Bin Thabit Street, causing considerable hardships to people working in offices in the vicinity,” an affected individual complained.
A big dumper truck takes up the parking space of two or three cars. If two such trucks are parked on either side of the road, as it is happening these days, it ends up denying parking space of six cars.
“These dumper trucks, parked in violation of the relevant law, are seen in this area continuously during weekends and during evenings during weekdays,” observed another office goer who has been forced to seek parking elsewhere because of the “invasion of the heavy vehicles.”
More than half a dozen dumper trucks were found parked in the open space behind Gulf Times yesterday afternoon. There was also a truck each parked on either side of Hassan Bin Thabit Street.
“We sincerely hope the Traffic Department takes note of this violation and enforces the ban at the earliest in all the areas concerned,” a resident added.