MADINAH, 23 May 2008 — Shepherds that cut highway fences to allow their herds to cross roads have caused serious accidents on the roads, say officials.

People have intentionally cut the fences to provide passage for the camels and sheep, causing accidents. It’s not just animals, either. Sometimes fences are cut to allow cars to take short cuts through the desert, a practice that is itself dangerous and causes deaths from people who get lost and break down in the hinterlands.

But Transportation Ministry officials are calling for more vigilance on national highways to be aware that fences on the sides of the road aren’t a guarantee against collisions with livestock or careless desert drivers.

Arab News spoke to number of people involved in this issue who all condemned this dangerous vandalism.

Ali Al-Ahmadi from the Ministry of Transportation said that these fences are meant to protect people using these roads, adding that these highways pass by different villages and rural areas.

“The ministry signed contracts with companies to make exits to these villages near the highways. They also make regular checks to repair any damage to the fences,” he said, adding that unfortunately some people do not appreciate the importance of these fences and would favor their own interest.

“There must be punishment set by authorities to anyone who cuts fences. I am not accusing a particular body but I am saying that everyone needs to cooperate so as to insure safety on highways. Thus I call for strong punishment for violators.”

Ahmad Al-Ruhaili a member of the traffic police, said that there are horrific accidents that killed many due to the cutting of fences, “and yet there are some who still cut the fences.”

According to Al-Ruhaili gas station owners sometimes cut the fences on highway medians in order to provide access for customers traveling along the other side. “These people are only looking for some profit and their greed drives them to put the lives of others in danger,” he said.

Sulaiman Al-Firaidi, a owner of a rest stop at Madinah-Jeddah-Makkah highway, however, denied having any relation to these practices.

“We do not favor such practices,” he said.

“We select the best commercial stops at the highways and we already have it in our minds that the rest spots are constructed close to exits so we can serve the two sides of the road at a time. What concerns us the most is the safety of the people.”

Muhammad Al-Harbi, who lives in a village on Al-Hijra Road, blames the problem on the designers of the roads and the Ministry of Transportation.

“They ignore the presence of villages near these highways and they do not make exits that serve us and in the process stop this vandalism,” he said.

Al-Harbi added that though they are aware of how dangerous it is to cut fences, they still find themselves obliged to carry out such acts in case of emergencies.

Samir Anbar, a citizen who uses highways on a daily basis, said: “I am a teacher and I take the highway every day to go to my school and come back to my village which is not far from Madinah. I have seen many horrific accidents that happen either because some cars cross the road suddenly out of a hole in the fence or because some animals, especially camels, aimlessly crossing the road.”

Anbar said that the accidents get even worse at night, adding that there should be strict punishment for anyone who cuts the fences and everyone using these holes to squeeze his car into the opposite side of the road.

“The traffic department should be responsible and they should consider these practices to be as serious as driving in the opposite direction or driving at a high speed,” he said.