JEDDAH, 14 July 2003 — Many families flock to Jeddah’s beaches to enjoy the peace and tranquility normally associated with a day at the seaside. However, at Jeddah’s South Corniche, one would be hard pressed to find a quiet spot to relax, listen to the waves, and breathe in what should be a refreshing sea breeze.
What one does find is plenty of space to park. The area has long been abandoned by those seeking a normal day at the beach. Four-wheeled motorcycles, or quadrunners, tear along the sand at high speed, piloted at times by boys as young as eight, dodging their four-legged competitors, the horses and the camels that are also for hire. The resulting effect on this once popular beachfront area is devastating to the environment and public safety.
According to the coast guard patrol at the South Corniche, several serious accidents have happened, a direct result of high speed collisions between quadrunners and other beachgoers, including horses and camels.
Majid Al-Dossari, a coast guard patrolman, told Arab News: “Several times a week, especially during summer, we get called out to handle accidents. There have been collisions between motorcycles and pedestrians, between motorcycles and animals, and between motorcycles and traffic on the Corniche Road. The bikes are not well maintained and the brakes don’t work as well as they need to. Combine that with the young age of the riders, and you have several accidents waiting to happen.”
One man, a regular visitor to the area, told Arab News: “Many hit-and-run accidents have happened to beach visitors. These motorbikes are often driven by inexperienced children riding for fun. They collide with people who are walking there, or with horses. Many people are injured and taken to hospital. I think these bikes should be banned from this place.”
When Arab News rented a quadrunner for 15 minutes yesterday afternoon, the owner offered to disengage the speed limiter, thereby allowing the vehicle to travel even faster. A young boy, aged 11, carrying his five-year-old sister on his lap overheard the conversation and asked for his speed limiter to be disengaged also. The owner obliged, sending the young rider and his sister away happily at over 50 km per hour.
Abdul Rahman Al-Matari, 32, was at the South Corniche yesterday. “I live in Qassim and bring my family to Jeddah for the summer. My son heard of the beach and wanted to try the motorcycles, so we brought him. For him, this is a special treat, but for his mother and me it’s a nightmare,” Al-Matari said.
“There is no other reason for us to stay here, so when his tour on the motorcycle is over, we are leaving,” he added.
Another beachgoer, Omar Al-Amoudi said, “These horses and bikes occupy most of the space on the beach. They occupy the best areas to attract customers. I don’t know where we can stay to avoid all these hazards. I don’t know what to do about the smell coming from the animals. I think most people avoid this place because of these problems. The best way to solve this is to provide a place for these bikes and horses”.
