Friday, Oct 07, 2011
Gulf News
Sharjah Traffic congestion during peak hours on roads linking Sharjah to Dubai will continue for two years as a major road project got under way.
The Dh327 million upgrade at the National Paints Roundabout in Sharjah is intended to prevent flooding during rain, a senior Public Works Department official said, adding that the project will be completed by 2013.
Urging motorists to be patient during traffic jams and delays, Ahmad Al Yamahi, manager of the road department at the Ministry of Public Works, said a hotline will be set up to handle traffic complaints swiftly.
“Before undertaking any road project we seek advice from the Sharjah Police,” he said. “The police are aware of the routes motorists take and their advice is taken into consideration.” A police official told Gulf News that police are focusing on regulating traffic and reducing violations.
Traffic on Emirates Road
“In the last two weeks, we have witnessed an increase in traffic jams mainly because vehicles are either double-parked or parked in a way that blocks the exits of service roads,” he said. Meanwhile, motorists said traffic on the Emirates Road has been very bad since the new academic year started. An accident on Wednesday created a massive jam.
But Al Yamahi said the situation was made worse by motorists who slowed down to watch the road works.
“Every day I am worried about driving to work because I fear I may get stuck in the traffic,” said Samir Mousa, a motorist who commutes between Dubai and Sharjah.
“It was an awful day,” said Ahmad Ali, a Pakistani motorist who works as a driver at a construction company in Ajman. He told Gulf News that he was taking workers to drop them at various construction sites in Dubai but he was stuck in traffic.
By Aghadir Ali?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2011. All rights reserved.
