ALKHOBAR, 8 January 2004 — Two expatriates, an Indian and a Bangladeshi, died when they were hit by a speeding car on Dhahran Street here on Tuesday.
According to eyewitnesses, the two were crossing the road near Alissa Souk around 8.30 p.m. when a Caprice driven by a Saudi hit them. They were immediately taken to the hospital where they were pronounced dead.
Accidents on this street at this particular location have become routine since Alkhobar’s roads were widened and the city’s pedestrian bridges taken down. The traffic department concedes that accidents involving pedestrians have increased over the past year and says it has urged pedestrians to be more careful.
The department has also increased police presence in the area in order to curb speeding but this has done little to reduce the road deaths and injuries. As a result, this stretch of Dhahran Street is now known as “death zone.”
Before roads in Alkhobar were widened, there was a pedestrian bridge over Dhahran Street near Jawahra Market and Alissa Souk. Though rarely used by pedestrians, the bridge was a safe alternative for those who chose to use it.
Prior to the widening, the narrowness of the street and the volume of traffic prevented motorists from speeding and there were few accidents. Arab News has run several stories about the dangerous area and the scores of accidents that have taken place there. Unfortunately, no safety measures were taken and consequently, the numbers of both deaths and injuries have steadily increased.
Shopkeepers and residents in the area say they have been urging for the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Dhahran Street. They say that the authorities should at least post a traffic police patrol at the junction of Dhahran Street and Subaikha during peak hours so that pedestrians could cross the road safely. If this is not possible, perhaps a traffic signal could be put there.
Unless some measures are taken, “death zone” will continue as a source of bad news and remain a danger to pedestrians.
