JEDDAH: The extreme heat and business hours of the Kingdom leave very little time for residents to enjoy leisurely activities away from home. The only convenient time that remains is the evening, a time when cool breezes sweep through Jeddah and the employed return home from work. This however, has resulted in the creation of another issue, traffic congestion.

Jeddah citizens face the slow-paced traffic from early hours of the day, 7 is the usual time for students and employees to depart their houses together. Traffic stretches out for miles on Madinah Road, King Fahd Road, Palestine Road and various others, these are crucial routes that lead to many workplaces.

The growing congestion has resulted in many delays for students, employees and even ambulances who are required to transport patients for urgent medical care. The chaotic state of the streets ends at 10 in the night, leaving residents very little time to visit shops and places of interest before closing time.

Mohammed Hakami, a daily commuter on the Al-Haramain Road, complained that almost all roads in the city suffer from the same problem. Hisham Mohannaf joined in criticizing the situation by calling it “unbearable.”

He insisted that the traffic was responsible for him abandoning public attractions such as shopping malls and picnic areas “just to stay away from the congestion.”

The Jeddah Governorate has responded to the issue by commencing road projects across the city, including the building of flyovers, tunnels as well as investing in newer forms of public transport such as the upcoming Jeddah Metro.

Despite its efforts, the construction has further added to the congestive state of the roads. Faisal Mohammad claimed that “congestion is another name for Jeddah,” adding that the road ongoing expansion project on the King Abdullah Road has worsened the situation.

Residents in the city fear the upcoming Haj season will only add to the congestion from sightseeing tourists.