Bani Malek residents demand footbridge

Schoolchildren who live in Jeddah’s Bani Malek area and have to cross the road intersecting the Bani Malek main road and Prince Majed Road are at risk of being run over by speeding cars due to the unavailability of a footbridge.
Concerned parents, teachers and area residents are demanding that the Jeddah Mayoralty move quickly to build a footbridge.
Abdullah Al-Alami, headmaster of a local school in the Bani Malek area, said that a footbridge would ensure the safety of pedestrians and schoolchildren wishing to cross the road intersecting the Bani Malek main road and Prince Majed Road.
“We have received several phone calls from worried parents and even teachers from nearby schools regarding the risks these schoolchildren run every day when they cross the road,” said Al-Alami.
“Some motorists, including bus drivers, have also shared their experience of seeing some schoolchildren crossing the road in a reckless manner,” he added.
The risks of such accidents increase when it rains as students become less watchful while hurrying to a shelter.
The opening of the tunnel in Prince Majed Street has exacerbated the suffering of the people living in the neighborhood who have to cross from one street to the other. “A few people have been run over in the past,” said Salman Hakim, an Arab resident in the Bani Malik area.
Hakim called for the construction of a footbridge as soon as possible to ensure a safe passage for schoolchildren and residents.
Early this year, the mayor’s undersecretary for urban projects and construction Ibrahim Kutubkhana announced the construction of several road projects including various tunnels and bridges, and the intersections at Bani Malek Road and Prince Majed Road.