The country’s capital is suffocating under its own capacity. The city, which is nearly as large as the entire kingdom of Bahrain, is expanding horizontally not vertically, thus causing snarling traffic jams, even on its broad thoroughfares, such as King Fahd Road and Makkah Road.
A friend of mine told me that it sometimes takes him an hour and a half to commute to and from work. My three-kilometer commute takes half an hour. I have acquaintances who often stay at home at night instead of dealing with the crowded streets.
One problem exacerbating Riyadh’s traffic woes is the prevalence of large commercial vehicles on roads during peak driving hours.
Another problem is the large numbers of old vehicles that not only break down frequently causing traffic blocks but also pollute more. Public works projects should also be scheduled in a way that keeps roads open during peak times.
Many city planners agree that Riyadh needs too modernize its public transportation network. However, I don’t believe this is a problem. Citizens and expatriates of this country generally don’t use public transportation.
Our society has grown accustomed to the idea that residents of one house should own at least two cars. Therefore, you see lots of cars with only one passenger crowding the streets unnecessarily. Even expanding the roads won’t solve the problem because the growth in population will quickly fill these gaps.
It’s only fair to say that our capital has spacious streets, express roads, tunnel networks and bridges that aren’t found in any other city. Yet the case isn’t about the size of the streets as much as it has to do, in my opinion, with the growth in the number of vehicles.
We hear of the diseases spreading because of air pollution in cities; we also hear about illnesses developing from excessive urban noise.
Riyadh’s spacious roads are no longer spacious as they used to be. The problem will only get worse if it is not addressed in an effective manner.
