UAE | Traffic and Transport
Closure of Al Wahda Street triggers chaos
The first day of school after the summer vacation turned out to be quite a difficult one for some.
- By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:30 August 31, 2008
Sharjah: The first day of school after the summer vacation turned out to be quite a difficult one for some.
The closure of Al Wahda Street had parents and pupils running yesterday from one end of the road to the other, and school buses were seen going in circles.
Many parents complained that their children were late for school because the bus drivers were finding it difficult to pick up children living near or on Al Wahda Street.
Development of the road network has led to the closure of Al Wahda Street for the next two years.
"We stay in Al Wahda Plaza, located right on Al Wahda Street, which is closed. The bus drivers were also left clueless," said Biju Augustine, a parent whose two children study at Our Own English High School, Sharjah.
In the morning, confused children kept running helter-skelter, wondering where to catch the bus.
Lakshmi Devarajan, whose children also go to the same school in Sharjah, said: "All the parents, who had accompanied their children to the bus stops were desperately trying to telephone the bus driver and the supervisor to know about the exact pick-up point."
'Quite a scene'
"In this case, it is futile to blame the bus drivers. They were trying their best.
"The bus finally stopped on one of the service roads in Abu Shagara and children with their heavy school bags had to run to catch the bus.
"It was quite a scene as parents, with school bags slung over their shoulders, were seen running towards the bus, holding onto their children," she added.
Some parents were also worried about the fact that the children would have to walk quite a distance to get home after school as the changed drop-off points would not be close to their respective buildings.
"I don't understand why the civic body in Sharjah did not spare a thought to school-going children living on Al Wahda Street before deciding to close the area," said a concerned parent.
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