MADINAH, 4 April 2007 — Parents living in the old Al-Anbaria district of Madinah say they would prefer their children not learning how to read and write to losing them in a car accident while crossing a notorious street twice a day to go to school, according to Al-Madinah newspaper.
Al-Anbaria is divided into two parts by the busy Prince Abdul Majeed ibn Abdul Aziz Street, which is crossed by over 300 pupils at least twice a day.
Over the past few years, many pupils have died in horrific car accidents on their way to school.
“The problem is that our children have to cross the road twice a day. The school is 100 meters on the other side and a lot of accidents have taken place on this road,” resident Saleem Al-Alawi told the Arabic-language daily.
Muawwid Al-Sihaimi, another Anbaria resident, said, “This road is now turning into a monster, which everyone fears. Parents hold their breath every time they hear a car crash.”
Dahi Al-Simaihi’s children also cross the road to go to school. “We’ve complained several times to the traffic director and asked him to put an end to our suffering. We’ve asked for traffic lights and a police officer that could organize the traffic flow during the morning and midday to protect our children. However, we’ve not received a response,” he said.
Some of the residents have submitted written complaints to the head of the Traffic Department in the city.
“We asked the head of the traffic police to come and see with his own eyes our pain and anguish and to observe first hand what happens to our children while going to and from school. He didn’t like the idea and said that the Traffic Department wasn’t responsible and that this is the responsibility of the municipality,” said Hudaiban Dhayfullah.
“He said that the municipality needs to build a bridge over the street. We wonder who is responsible for taking the decision to save our children’s lives,” he added.
Saad Al-Alawi and Ali Mubarak said there are a huge number of widows living in the area who go everyday to the road to help their children cross. “Their voices must also reach the authorities. Every attempt to call the traffic director has failed. I feel so sorry for these widows,” said Al-Alawi.
