Roads around 465 schools in Qatar made safer with speed breakers, signages

Tribune News NetworkDohaThe Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has completed improving the road safety features surrounding 465 schools across the country, accounting for 88 percent of the total number of schools included in the School Zone Safety Programme.This is in addition to ongoing works to complete the implementation of safety plans for 38 schools, as part of Ashghal readiness for the new academic year 2020/2021.Ashghal continues to implement a comprehensive and continuous plan with international standards to ensure road safety featuresare in place on the roads surrounding schools, thusenhancing security and safety of students, parents and educational staff.According to a study conducted by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Ashghal has coordinated with the Ministry of Interior and the National Road Safety Committeeto identify school areas in need of development. The list of schools is assessed and revisedona monthly and annual basis, with the number of schools in need of development increasing each year. This year priority was given to approximately 533 schools spread across various areas in Qatar.In addition to thecompleted and ongoing safety works, design plans are in progress for 25 schools and have been completed for five additional schools, with work expected to commence as soon as necessary approvals are obtained from concerned entities in the country. It is worth noting that 100% schools included in the school zone safety plan for 2020 are in different stages of implementation.Engineer Hassen Al-Hamadi, Head of Highways Operation & Maintenance Section, said that Ashghal gives the School Zone Safety Programme high priority, as it is one of the key elements to achieve the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS 2013 – 2022). It aims to ease traffic congestions in these areas, separate vehicles from pedestrians and improve unpaved roads to achieve higher safety levels, ensuring safe entry and exit of students and parents from schools.The school zone safety programme works include the establishment and developmentof roads at the highest level of safety in the school zones byproviding designated car parks, building medians and small roundabouts in order to manage traffic flow in those areas. Al Hamadiadded: “As part of the programme, Roads Operation and Maintenance Department(ROMD) at Ashghal installs a number of directional signs andprovides road markings near schools to alert drivers of the speed limit set at 30 km/h.”Speed humps with specific specifications are installedfor speed reduction, in addition to creating safe pedestrians pathsfor road users and people with special needs. ROMD teams also upgrade and maintain pedestrian paths at the entrances and exits of schools.In an aim to ensure safe entrances to schools, which overlook main streets, bright coloured rumble strips are placed to alert drivers when arriving or leaving the school district,with clear warning signals to ensure safety of the entire school community.