By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter

Traffic snarls and inadequate parking at some public parks have become a regular phenomenon bothering Doha residents during weekends this winter.
Many are prompted to come as early as 1pm to avoid being stuck in the traffic and long queues, and to secure parking for their vehicles in the area. Others prefer to leave their cars at the parking areas of nearby malls as an alternative.
Since the onset of winter a few weeks ago, families who spend their Fridays at Aspire Park said they could hardly find parking slots from afternoon.
“I reach as early as 1pm and spend an hour or two at Hyatt Plaza before walking to the park with my children,” said Allan Palermo, a Filipino expatriate who frequents the park behind two major malls in Doha. "In the evening, we go back to the mall to buy food and groceries for the week."
Last week, he said the traffic was hardly moving from the Hyatt Plaza signal towards the park and they waited for nearly an hour to get a parking slot.
Some motorists were also seen taking U-turns to free themselves from the traffic congestion and drove back to the main road.
Parking is also a concern during weekends in the vicinity of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park, another favourite location with families, on account of the sprawling huge playing area for children.
MIA Park, which offers exceptional ambience and scenic view of the Doha skyline, is one of the most popular venues for family outings in Doha.
Many residents are hoping that more public parks and parking areas will open soon to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of visitors.
Besides the issue of parking areas and traffic woes, Indian expatriate Nilesh said a lot of visitors who go to public parks often complain of lack of toilets and wash areas.
"We just hope that they would increase the number of toilets to serve people especially the young children and old. Most of the time, we see a lot of them in long queues waiting for their turn," he stressed.
An official of the Ministry of Urban Planning had earlier announced that newly opened public parks and those set to be open in the coming months would have more toilets and other facilities for the elderly and differently-abled people. These parks also have more eateries and coffee shops to serve visitors.
The parking problems and overcrowding at parks and malls within Doha during weekends is also prompting many residents to try exploring other places such as Al Khor and Al Wakrah.