By Paulo Fugen

The Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student Center has introduced valet parking for visitors this semester to help deal with parking congestion in Education City, according to an official from Qatar Foundation.

Jassim Telefat, technical affairs director at Qatar Foundation’s Capital Projects department, said that the new service was aimed at visitors to the Student Center medical clinic to ensure that they would be able to reach the clinic despite the lack of parking.

The service, which was introduced a month ago, charges users QR 5. There is no extra charge beyond that initial fee, meaning that visitors can keep vehicles parked all day in the student center parking spaces.

In addition, the parking fee can be waived if the user visits the Student Center medical clinic and receives a stamp on their valet ticket, according to Shokly Mnasser, one of the eleven valets hired to providing the service.

However, no restrictions have been placed on who can use the system, which means that students and staff at Education City can use the valet service, not simply clinic patients.

To provide the new service, the valets have cordoned off parking spots in the front of the Student Center as well as a parking lot near Gate 8.

Ahmed Ragheeb, a senior at Texas A&M University in Qatar, said the parking spots were valuable for students. “Now you can’t park anywhere,” said Ragheeb.

Telefat explained that the service is a temporary solution until the People Moving System is complete.

“It’s a bandage, said Telefat. “We have a problem and we’re working to resolve this issue.”

“But until that happens… I need to make sure our end users are not suffering… that is why we are creating this service”, Telefat said.

The People Moving System involves the implementation of a tram system within Education City. Students and staff will be expected to park at three separate parking lots surrounding the area and use the tram system to travel around campus.