JEDDAH, 3 November 2004 — Speeders beware! During Ramadan, the highway patrol is cracking down on speeders racing down the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway, which is one of the busiest in the Kingdom.
Vehicle speed has been a factor in several major accidents along this highway, and the highway patrol is operating at full capacity this month to ensure the safety of travelers and pilgrims. Patrol officers are present every two kilometers — not counting those hiding in unmarked cars.
Police are determined to discipline speeders, and it is common now to see at least eight cars pulled over between Makkah and Jeddah. “When I travel to Makkah, I make sure that I stay in the far two lanes on the right away from the fast lanes on the left,” said Ahmad Abdul Rahman, who works as an instructor at the teachers’ training institute.
“Every time I travel to Makkah, I put my hand on my heart and watch the rear mirror for fast drivers. One day, I refused to allow a speeder to force me to drive to the right because I was driving within the speed limit and he was doing maybe 160 km/h. The crazy driver passed me from the left side using the emergency yellow lane. I nearly had an accident because half of the car was on the road, and the other half on the dirt road. He was doing 140. Such drivers can’t drive within the speed limit because speeding is in their blood,” he added.
“I performed Umrah last week, and on my way from Makkah to Jeddah, I was very happy to see many patrol cars pulling over speeders,” said Abu Ammar.
“I saw at least seven speeders pulled over, which is very good. The highway patrol is doing a great job keeping the highway safe from such reckless speeders, especially during Ramadan.”
“We have been monitoring the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway, and nothing has changed over the years,” a police officer told Arab News. “We added more police patrol cars and put more officers on duty because the highway is busy during Ramadan. We do not want speeders to put the lives of pilgrims in danger. Previously, there were road accidents involving pilgrim buses, which led to deaths and serious injuries.”
Highway patrol officers aren’t accepting any excuses. “Our main goal is to make sure that the highway and all roads in general are clear of reckless drivers and speeders,” the officer said. “Anyone who goes over the specified speed limit, which is 120 km/h for small cars and 100 km/h for big trucks, will be spotted and fined.”
It’s a new — and unwelcome — experience for some motorists. “I live in Makkah and I go to Jeddah for work. Since Ramadan began, I have received five tickets for speeding,” said Saleh Al-Salimi.
Despite his awareness of the crackdown, Al-Salimi says if you’re speeding, you’ll get caught. “Because I use the road everyday, I know where highway patrol officers hide their cars, which is mostly under bridges. I slow down before I reach them,” Al-Salimi said.
“But when I do speed they catch me. I notice there are many more patrol cars since Ramadan started, and I am sure that most of them are undercover driving normal cars. If these undercover officers locate a speeder, they inform the highway patrol ahead with the description of the car and license plate number. This is an old trick, which they’re using now because of the Ramadan rush.”
