MAKKAH: Haj vehicles that fail to carry the number of the road they will be using in Arafat will not be allowed to enter the holy site, said Col. Saeed Jabara, traffic police commander in charge of organizing the movement to Arafat.
Speaking at a meeting of the traffic police and the Tawafa establishments for Non-Arab African and South Asian pilgrims here on Saturday, Jabara strongly criticized people who, while working during the Haj, park their vehicles at locations that are not allocated to them.
“They often park along roads and streets in Arafat. This obstructs the traffic movement and creates bottlenecks,” he said.
Col. Jabara called for the early ascent of pilgrims from Mina and Makkah to Arafat to avoid congestion and to enable people to settle down with ease to indulge in prayers and supplications.
All roads in Arafat are numbered to make it easy for drivers to know where they are going.
He added that parking lots for South Asian pilgrims are between Road No. 2 and Road No. 3.
Col. Jabara said parking problems usually occur between the middle and eastern ring roads. “Domestic pilgrims who are not traveling with groups squat on the road creating immense problems for other pilgrims,” he said.
Col. Jabara said traffic lights would be used at all intersections as well as major and branch roads to ensure the smooth flow of vehicles and pedestrians.
Deputy Chairman of the Tawafa Establishment for Non-Arab African Pilgrims Dr. Sulaiman Qattan said 70 percent of the pilgrims carry luggage with them, hampering smooth flow of traffic.
