After a lull on Riyadh’s roads during the school holidays, the traffic in the city has returned to “normal” hustle and bustle. We appreciate the traffic authorities’ concern in their efforts to ease the situation as much as possible.
However, malfunctioning of many traffic lights and disproportionate timing allocated to cross these intersections are adding to the already existing problem. For example you find the busiest and the most congested traffic in the city at the intersection at Salahudin Al Ayyubi Road under the Gulf Bridge. Very frequently we note either the lights here are malfunctioning or the time allocated for crossings is extremely insufficient. This causes traffic jam extending from one traffic light to the other on the same road stretching to, approximately, one to two kilometers.
I strongly recommend that the time allocated to cross this busiest intersection in the city should be not less than forty seconds. What really amazes motorists is that not so busy intersections are enjoying this luxury, where just 20 seconds are more than sufficient.
One other place which suffers from the insufficient timing is Ali ibn Abi Taleb Road in the industrial area. The allocated time here is just 18 seconds but the traffic is at least half a kilometer or more long at any time of the day. I am sure that there are many more places which need immediate adjustments.
I appeal to the traffic authorities to do a realistic survey during the busy hours of weekdays. This will definitely help them sort out the existing problems relating to traffic lights. In the meantime, I am really pleased to note the discipline and road manners, which exist among the large number of motorists now. The credit for this should be equally shared by the traffic authorities and the motorists. This has also helped reduce the number nasty accidents we used to see on roads quite frequently.
S.H. Moulana
Riyadh
Letters — Riyadh traffic back to ‘normal’
