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Santhosh Chandran
Doha
EVEN though Asian Town has emerged as one of the most crowded shopping and leisure hubs in Qatar in the recent times, the connectivity to the town is far from being satisfactory in the absence of a bus terminal.
So much so, it is a challenge for a large number of blue-collar workers, the targeted beneficiaries of this commercial and entertainment hub, to visit and avail Asian Town's facilities on a regular basis.
An Asian expatriate worker said,"Poor connectivity between Asian Town and different parts of Industrial Area is responsible for our lack of mobility. It becomes difficult to visit Asian Town even on weekends sometimes due to lack of connectivity. Therefore, we feel that a bus terminal at Asian Town would be of much help to us."
It is worth mentioning here that Mowasalat has already hinted at the possibility of having a bus terminal at Asian Town to provide better mobility for single workers who are spread all over Industrial Area and on the outskirts of the city.
The bus terminal at Asian Town will also provide an opportunity for over 50,000 single workers staying in localities surrounding the Labour City to visit remote places like Al Khor, Dukhan, Salwa, Ruwais and many other heritage and tourist sites in Qatar.
"Presently, we have to go to Al Ghanim Bus Terminal, which is far away from Labour City, to catch a bus for these places. However, once a bus terminal opens here, it will save us plenty of time and make our movement to different places across the country much easier," said an Asian Town resident working in a transportation firm.
In a statement to the media recently, Mowasalat revealed its plans to increase frequency of buses on certain routes based on feedback from commuters and regular and comprehensive performance analysis.
According to sources, thousands of people visit Asian Town daily. The town boasts of a cluster of 234 shops including textiles, electronics and jewellery shops, hypermarkets as well as 22 eateries and four cinema halls.
With all the shops and cinema theatres being open for a year now, the number of visitors to the Asian Town also known as the 'Labour City', has seen a three-fold increase, according to sources at Ibin Ajayan Projects which manages the area.
Besides, with the opening of the new highways connecting Salwa Road, Hamad Sea Port and Hamad International Airport, the number of visitors to Asian Town is expected to go up further.
Sources at Ibin Ajayan Projects said that the initiatives undertaken by the property developers such as conducting monthly medical camps, traditional Asian Bazaar and cultural festival on alternative weeks has helped the 'Labour City' to become one of the largest shopping and entertainment destinations in the country.
