UAE | Traffic and Transport
Heavy traffic jams following rains
The first day of rain brought more gloom for motorists who started their week caught in heavy traffic jams.
- By Mariam M. Al Serkal, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:50 November 16, 2008
- Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News
- Traffic from Sharjah moves slowly towards Dubai after the showers.
Sharjah: The first day of rain brought more gloom for motorists who started their week caught in heavy traffic jams.
Residents in Sharjah witnessed lightning and rainfall that lasted an hour until around 6.30am on Sunday morning.
However, many agreed that the horrendous traffic in the arterial roads and along Al Ittihad Road was not caused by the rain but the accident that occurred in front of Al Mulla Plaza in Dubai.
The city was not flooded with rain water as has been the case in previous years, due to the constant improvement works on the sewage network.
"I left home at 6.45am and was crawling through traffic along Al Ittihad Road. I did not get to Deira until 9am and I still did not reach my destination on Shaikh Zayed Road," said Fatima Siddiqi.
"The roads were not flooded and everything was a little bit wet, but nothing out of the ordinary. I do not think that the rain had anything to do with the long tailbacks on the main roads, but it was a lot worse than usual," said Ratna Devar Murthy.
Traffic jam
Al Taawun Road was also jam-packed that left motorists at a stand still for two hours. Another hot spot of heavy traffic was at Al Khan Bridge as motorists heading to Dubai were affected by the morning accident.
Maintenance: Preparing for rain
Sharjah Municipality is setting up rain water storage ponds in preparation for any rain in winter.
"We are already cleaning the drainage network and all the necessary maintenance has been completed," said Abdul Aziz Al Mansoori, Deputy Manager, Drainage Department.
10 hurt in accidents in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi: At least 10 people were injured in 25 accidents that occurred in various parts of the city due to rain, police said.
One person suffered serious injuries, while two were moderately injured and seven others suffered minor injuries. "Among the 25 accidents, 19 did not result in any injuries. Most of the accidents were caused by drivers who failed to keep safe distance," Major Yaslam Mubarak Al Tamimi, the head of the serious traffic accidents department, told Gulf News.
"The roads were slippery. In such conditions, motorists must exercise caution and avoid speeding," he said, adding that most of the accidents took place during the rush hour between 7 and 8.30 in the morning.
Outside the city, along the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway, 22 accidents took place, officials said. One person suffered serious injuries while 5 others suffered minor injuries.
Man run over
In a separate accident, an Indian man was run over and killed instantly on Salam Street, while crossing from a non-designated area.
- Staff Report
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