In particular, the rush was heavier during the morning and afternoon in areas where schools are located, while elsewhere the traffic was mostly moderate.
Some 300,000 students were expected to resume classes on Sunday after a long summer break and government offices also reopened after the Eid al-Adha holidays. To avoid getting caught in the “back-to-school” rush, motorists were advised to start early and look for alternative routes wherever diversions had been put in place. On their part, the authorities concerned stepped up patrols to ensure that traffic flow remained smooth.
Roads in and around areas such as Abu Hamour, Mesaimeer and Old Airport, among several others, experienced heavy traffic on Sunday morning as thousands of children headed for school. Long queues could be seen at some interchanges and roundabouts.



Vehicles pile up on one of the inner lanes in Abu Hamour.

However, commuters said the situation was well under control as the traffic police had made arrangements for special patrols around town, especially near new intersections and diversions. This, in particular, helped motorists not familiar with the new layout of roads in dealing with the traffic rush without any trouble.
Several motorists said they did not have any difficulty in coping with the traffic and they had, in fact, expected a bigger rush. Most of them were "prepared for any scenario and planned their journey accordingly", said a parent who takes his children to and from school every day.
“I started quite early thinking there would be heavy traffic. However, the roads were not as crowded as I had expected and was able to reach the school well in advance. I could also reach my workplace on time without any hassle,” said a parent, lauding the traffic authorities for the patrols.
As anticipated, traffic was heavy in Abu Hamour, which has a large number of schools. As a result, there were long queues on some roads and several vehicles could be seen in front of every school.
Meanwhile, two new schools started operating from their new premises in the Abu Hamour area. The Sudanese and Palestinian community schools are located close to Safari Mall and heavy traffic was seen in the area as a large number of students, teachers and officials turned up for the first day of the new academic year.
Minor accidents, meanwhile, were reported from some of these areas – slowing down traffic for a while. Prompt intervention by the Traffic Police helped clear the roads quickly and restore normalcy.
Speaking about his experience of commuting on the first day after the summer holidays, a parent stressed that the traffic situation had improved in Doha compared to previous years. “I hope that with the completion of the ongoing works, the situation will further improve.”