If anyone had any doubt we are experiencing traffic congestion in Jeddah, I am quite confident he must have changed his mind by now.
During this past Ramadan, no matter whether you ventured out during the day or night, it was never short of an adventure. When you ignite the engine of your car, you don't know when you are going to switch it off.
Deciding to go out during Ramadan on your car anywhere in the city was a nightmare.
Even playing it smart and deciding to plan your trip through Google Maps didn't work. In no time, the empty roads you decided to take were full of traffic because most people thought the same way you did and used the same reasoning. Eventually, the flashy lines of green you had on your mobile screen would turn into long lines of red.
At times, it felt like the number of cars on the streets had multiplied manifold.
It was an unescapable problem, you had no choice but to go out to finish your errands, go to work or visit your loved ones. And in each and every one of those trips, there is at least an hour to two to sacrifice from your own time sitting behind the wheel.
When Jeddah roads' renovations started about 10 years ago with its multiple huge projects of bridges and underpasses, we were very excited. We thought that the traffic congestion that had just started and was occurring at a few main roads would be part of history. We dealt with the impact those projects had on our daily routes anticipating that everything would be smooth and easy once these projects are completed.
However, one of my architect friends said he was confirming without an iota of doubt that by the time these projects are implemented congestion will most probably increase. His justification was plain and simple, with the rate of growth in the city we needed the current projects about 10 years ago, and by the time they finish it will already be too late. I guess he was right.
Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that some of the projects executed recently made travel on some roads smoother, especially during the non-peak hours, but they did not solve the congestion problem. The long queues of cars on roads even where there is no traffic light is a commonplace and has been on the increase.
Now the only way forward seems to be to speed up the public transport projects. We need to build a robust infrastructure of public transport system and also change people's habits. We need to persuade them to forsake their cars in favor of the other available options that will help mitigate the traffic problem.
Our capital, Riyadh, is already on the right track with its Metro project. It would be a good opportunity to see how the people respond to it once it is in operation. With the huge investment the country has made in this project, I am optimistic that it would definitely provide relief to the chocking streets of Riyadh.
We have heard about some of the plans for Jeddah public transport system; the three metros and their stations; the 816 buses that would serve a network of 2,950 stations, besides ideas for corniche trams. We are only waiting to see these plans transform into reality. The city is chocking with its traffic and it needs to be given relief.
During this past Ramadan, no matter whether you ventured out during the day or night, it was never short of an adventure. When you ignite the engine of your car, you don't know when you are going to switch it off.
Deciding to go out during Ramadan on your car anywhere in the city was a nightmare.
Even playing it smart and deciding to plan your trip through Google Maps didn't work. In no time, the empty roads you decided to take were full of traffic because most people thought the same way you did and used the same reasoning. Eventually, the flashy lines of green you had on your mobile screen would turn into long lines of red.
At times, it felt like the number of cars on the streets had multiplied manifold.
It was an unescapable problem, you had no choice but to go out to finish your errands, go to work or visit your loved ones. And in each and every one of those trips, there is at least an hour to two to sacrifice from your own time sitting behind the wheel.
When Jeddah roads' renovations started about 10 years ago with its multiple huge projects of bridges and underpasses, we were very excited. We thought that the traffic congestion that had just started and was occurring at a few main roads would be part of history. We dealt with the impact those projects had on our daily routes anticipating that everything would be smooth and easy once these projects are completed.
However, one of my architect friends said he was confirming without an iota of doubt that by the time these projects are implemented congestion will most probably increase. His justification was plain and simple, with the rate of growth in the city we needed the current projects about 10 years ago, and by the time they finish it will already be too late. I guess he was right.
Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that some of the projects executed recently made travel on some roads smoother, especially during the non-peak hours, but they did not solve the congestion problem. The long queues of cars on roads even where there is no traffic light is a commonplace and has been on the increase.
Now the only way forward seems to be to speed up the public transport projects. We need to build a robust infrastructure of public transport system and also change people's habits. We need to persuade them to forsake their cars in favor of the other available options that will help mitigate the traffic problem.
Our capital, Riyadh, is already on the right track with its Metro project. It would be a good opportunity to see how the people respond to it once it is in operation. With the huge investment the country has made in this project, I am optimistic that it would definitely provide relief to the chocking streets of Riyadh.
We have heard about some of the plans for Jeddah public transport system; the three metros and their stations; the 816 buses that would serve a network of 2,950 stations, besides ideas for corniche trams. We are only waiting to see these plans transform into reality. The city is chocking with its traffic and it needs to be given relief.
