UAE | Traffic and Transport
Cityscape visitors jam Dubai roads
Traffic was still bad on Tuesday, especially around the World Trade Centre area and surrounding roads, as the property show Cityscape continues to attract huge crowds.
- Staff Report
- Published: 23:26 October 7, 2008
- Image Credit: Javed Nawab/Gulf News
- Traffic on Satwa road, going towards World Trade Centre, during the 2nd day of Cityscape Dubai 2008.
Dubai: Traffic was still bad on Tuesday, especially around the World Trade Centre area and surrounding roads, as the property show Cityscape continues to attract huge crowds.
Motorists faced long tailbacks from the early hours of the morning as major roads including Shaikh Zayed Road, Al Ittihad Road, Emirates Road and Dubai Bypass Road were blocked for hours.
Roads surrounding the Trade Centre Roundabout, including Al Wasel and Jumeirah Roads, were also blocked.
Dubai Police Command and Control Room said traffic was also slow on Oud Metha Road and Nad Al Sheba and advised motorists to avoid Za'abeel and use alternative routes such as Al Khail Road.
Tighter control
A traffic police official said they have stationed traffic patrols on various locations where major congestions were reported to help ease the traffic flow.
The official said police also issued fines to a number of motorists who blocked roads and added to the congestion by entering the yellow lane on intersections or parking in prohibited areas.
An accident on Shaikh Zayed Road on Monday morning added to the traffic congestion as a helicopter landed to airlift the injured to the hospital.
Police said three men sustained serious injuries when a car ran them over near Jumeirah Lake Towers. The three victims were airlifted to Rashid Hospital, but the scene was cleared soon after the accident to ease traffic movement.
Drivers' account: It's a back-breaking drive
Motorists heading to Dubai had no reason to smile on Tuesday morning as they battled heavy traffic congestion.
It was bumper-to-bumper all the way on Al Ittihad road, Al Khan, Al Buhaira, Al Wahda, the Industrial area and the King Faisal roads. The drive was 'back-breaking' said motorists, adding that they did not mind using Garhoud and Safa toll gates to reach their work places faster.
"The traffic is getting atrociously bad on every road leading to Dubai from Sharjah and other emirates," said Ahmad Jasem, a resident of Sharjah who works in Dubai Media City. "I generally do not go through the Salik toll gates and so I leave my house for work early. I live near Al Buhaira Corniche.
"It took me a little over an hour to reach Al Mulla Plaza and then another half-an-hour to reach the Airport Road. Driving on Garhoud was not a problem but the traffic situation got a bit sticky near to the World Trade Centre."
Motorists who took the Sharjah-Dubai by-pass and the Emirates Road to reach Dubai said that it took them over two-and-a-half hours to reach Dubai.
"I was stuck on the Al Khail road for nearly 45 minutes," said Rahul Srinivas, a Sharjah resident who works in a events company located on the Shaikh Zayed road. "I somehow kept my road rage under control while getting out of Sharjah but I lost my patience when I came across heavy traffic on the Al Khail road."
Drivers complained that they end up spending most of their day on the roads. "It is a long wait until the Metro starts, but until then we have no choice but to endure the traffic," said one unhappy motorist.
- Staff Report
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