Massive rush-hour jams frustrate commuters

JEDDAH: Traffic jams have drastically increased on most major roads across the city, with motorists facing delays and frustration as traffic grinds to a standstill in many places.

“There is no relief. There are traffic jams not only during peak hours but throughout the day. Even parallel roads are not in a situation that can be used to avoid major blocks. The roads leading in and out of these bottlenecks are blocked as well,” said Ahmed Mirza, a resident of Jeddah.
Traffic on the roads moves at a snail’s pace, especially in the morning, resulting in drivers reaching their children’s schools or arriving at the workplace late.
Saleh Mohammed, a Sudanese resident, said the traffic problem starts at 7 a.m. and most of the city roads are clogged. “My work starts at 8 but to avoid traffic congestion I decided to leave the house at 6:30 a.m., for which I get up at 6.”
Additionally, road construction or repair works cause difficulties for motorists in different parts of the city and suburbs.
Long queues of vehicles have become a regular sight on most access roads. Departing early from home has been hardly an advantage to the motorists, says Ahmed Ali, a resident. “These days it seems that everyone’s leaving home early to avoid the traffic, but we end up spending more time trapped on the roads or crawling at a slow pace,” he added.
Streets such as Al-Andalus, Palestine, Al-Ruwais, King Abdulaziz in Balad, Makaronah and Saari streets remain congested during the morning and evening rush hours.
Although several bridges and underpasses have been provided, those under construction need a proper plan in the interest of smooth traffic flow.
Likewise, people enjoying an occasional stroll have raised concerns over the increased traffic. “The street intersecting Tahlia and Sitteen streets is always congested. The road isn’t wide enough for traffic. Even the service road sometimes witnesses a heavy traffic jam,” said Khalid, a resident.
However, a spokesperson for Jeddah traffic police said that policemen on motor bikes have been instructed to patrol from the morning on the busiest streets to ensure proper vehicular movement and to ease movement on all Jeddah roads, especially where construction work is ongoing.
All road users have been asked to cooperate with police and follow traffic regulations, and shouldn’t block roads, in the event of an accident, but move their vehicles to the roadside and wait for the police to arrive.