Investors in road transport in the Kingdom have suggested laying of railway lines from Jubail to other cities besides establishing land ports in major cities with adequate customs facilities to minimize the heavy traffic movement from Jubail and consequent congestion in existing highways.

Currently, about 6,000 trucks and tankers carrying industrial, construction and other raw and crude materials ply daily between Jubail and other cities in the Kingdom as well as neighboring Gulf states, Egypt and Jordan, said Salem Al-Balawi, deputy chairman of Ground Transportation Committee in Asharqia Chamber.

Quoting from a report released recently by the Ministry of Transportation, he said each of these trucks and tankers transports about 25 tons. “Despite the large number of trucks that move daily, the accident rate has come down especially after the implementation of the Saher system and limiting the speed to 80 km/h. However, accidents do occur because of drivers not adhering to safety norms,” he said.

Abdulrahman Al-Otaishan, an investor in road transport sector, said at least 3,000 trucks loaded with goods leave Jubail Industrial City via Jubail Expressway to all parts of the Kingdom and Gulf countries every day.

He said: “Around the same number enter the city loaded with the requirements of companies and factories. In addition, there is movement of employees between Jubail and Dammam cities during work hours via the Expressway covering 100 km, putting the road under pressure.”

“The other highway — Abu Hadriyah Highway — to the west of Jubail also faces similar traffic pressure, and the solution is to construct alternative highway between Dammam and Jubail for this sector,” he said.

Al-Otaishan also suggested laying railway lines to transport goods and passengers between Jubail and other Saudi cities, besides establishing land ports in major cities with enough customs facilities to clear the goods being transported.

He also called for establishing multiple weigh-in-motion stations along the highway instead of using one scale which holds up trucks for up to 5 km. “Trucks are being delayed nearly eight hours on their arrival date,” he said, adding that random inspections also delay trucks.

Stating that there was need to increase the number of inspectors to speed up the process, he said there was also need to have proper parking lots equipped with necessary services.

Al-Otaishan said that most drivers were not qualified, not to mention the cost of hiring them which had touched SR2,400. Also, citizens were reluctant to take up the job because of its arduous nature.

“There is a shortage of drivers after the labor correction campaign, and the Ministry of Labor should consider solving this problem and reduce the cost to revitalize the sector, failing which prices of other commodities will also be affected,” he warned.

Fahd Al-Sharia’a, a member of the Ground Transportation Committee in Asharqia Chamber, echoed similar sentiments and said that driver shortage was affecting the economy as Saudis were reluctant to take up the job.

He said: “Although the Ministry of Labor has made it mandatory for small firms to have 7 percent and big firms to have 10 percent of jobs for Saudis, it is not applied in reality. The ministry obliges us to hire 5 percent Saudis for non-driver professions such as mechanical works like changing oil, auto parts, truck maintenance and that is not applied as well.”

“All these percentages need to be re-examined and discussed to reformulate them to overcome this sector’s problems,” he added.