The General Directorate of Traffic in Riyadh said that companies carrying out road constructions are directly responsible for the compensation of casualties and victims of accidents caused by excavation works on the main and side roads.
Lt. Col. Hassan Al-Hassan, spokesman for Riyadh traffic, explained that the company's existing project is bound to bear the costs of compensation to those affected, if the error is found to have caused the accidents.
"The directorate has a specialized division that carries out regular surveys for excavation works and there is a fine in addition to the compensation in the case of any wrongdoing," he added.
As for halting road construction works because of some kind of manipulation by contractors, the spokesman said that this procedure is in the jurisdiction of the ministry of transportation, the Secretariat of Riyadh, and the higher commission for the development of Riyadh, which are the parties that signed the contract with the contractor.
He stressed that the directorate's role is to follow up the timeline of the authorization, the provision of safety measures and the compliance of the contractor with the original sketch.
He said that any breaches or violations in construction works, such as the lack of safety measures, will be subject to fines, pointing out that the directorate has no powers to stop these works in the streets of the city, as they are for the purpose of serving citizens.
Safety measures are priority, the spokesman said, explaining that the directorate works in coordination with the competent parties to address the many projects as Riyadh city witnesses a big development activity in roads in general.
Road constructions are widespread in Riyadh and other regions of the Kingdom. The ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs said that a problem does exist and users of these roads suffer greatly. Acknowledging this problem is the first step toward solving urban road, with the cooperation of all parties concerned.
As for the complaints concerning the poor quality of asphalt, he said that it is the result of not complying with the general specifications defined by the concerned parties, as well as not applying quality control and supervision procedures by contractors.
Road construction firms to be held liable in accidents
