UAE | Traffic and Transport

Motorists suffer yet another morning of extended misery from Sharjah to Dubai

It took motorists from the northern emirates more or less the same travel time to reach Dubai as it would take them to travel to some of the subcontinent and Gulf cities by air.

  • By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 15:27 June 1, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Dubai bound traffic towards Sharjah ring road.
  • Image Credit: Devadasan/Gulf News
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Dubai: It took motorists from the northern emirates more or less the same travel time to reach Dubai as it would take them to travel to some of the subcontinent and Gulf cities by air.

All roads leading to Dubai on Sunday morning were choked with heavy traffic, but taking the worst hit of all was the Al Ittihad and Al Ta'awun roads where motorists were stranded for more than 30 minutes without being able to move an inch forward.

The situation worsened further for motorists when Sharjah police cordoned off the exit to the Al Ittihad road from the Al Ta'awun road. Traffic instead was directed towards the Sharjah ring road via the Sahara Centre.

Scenes of motorists rolling down their vehicle windows and swearing was a common sight in the traffic jam. Hemmed in by the traffic, drivers and children found time to relieve themselves on the manicured green on both sides of the Sahara Centre flyover.

Altaf Mohammad, a Pakistani motorist said that he hit the road at 6:45am and found himself struck on the Al Ittihad road in front of the Ansar mall for about 25 minutes. "I reached my work place located on Bank Street in Bur Dubai at 9:15am.

"I was 45 minutes late for work. The journey from Sharjah to Dubai was an agonising one. I tried everything to keep myself occupied. I read the newspaper, made some telephone calls and even called a radio station requesting them to play good Bollywood numbers," he said.

Khadija, an Emirati secretary who works in the public sector, found herself making rounds of all exits to escape the traffic but with little luck. Ultimately she opted to take the Sharjah bypass road to Dubai.

"I got out of the Ta'awun road and drove all the way back to the Al Khan flyover that leads to the Sharjah Industrial area. Got stuck on the flyover for 20 minutes. Then took the road leading to Discount Market, got stuck in traffic again for over 25 minutes. It was the most frustrating drive of my life so far. I called up a colleague at work and found myself crying on the phone. I was so tired," she said.

"Please don't ask me to comment on Dubai-Sharjah roads traffic as it drives me mad. What is the use of talking when nothing is being done to ease it," said Rahul Patel, a Sharjah-based businessman.

Were you stuck in the traffic today? How did the diversions affect your travel plans? Was your commute worse than usual? Let us know by filling in the form below. You may also send us your pictures by clicking here.


Your comments


I think one of the causes of the traffic jam was the closure of the R/A in Sharjah industrial, this the R/A which is just before the old Sky Line College road. I left home in Sharjah (Nasseriya) at 5:20 am and reached Dubai Media City at 6:30 am. I was working yesterday so I knew that they had blocked that road thus this morning took a diversion to avoid getting stuck.
Zaheen
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 18:00

Horrible Nightmare, I wish someone had the decency to warn the commuters in advance. One will know our plight only when one experiences the torture, sitting in our vehicles for almost four hours thirsty, angry and frustrated.
Enfelicia
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 17:16

The traffic today morningwas such a disaster. I left the house at 6am then at 9am, I passed Al Taawun. But then the police had blocked the road onto Al Ittihad and told us to go towards the industrial area.
Jastin
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 17:14

I started at 06:07 am from my home in Rolla and reached Al Tawun R/A at 09:45am. The traffic movement was absolutely nil and there was no police present at the R/A to control the cars who cut in between from wrong side of the road. My car eventually stalled due to excessive idle time and I had to return home by taxi leaving my car at Tawun Mall parking lot. Is there no other way to control traffic than to block key arterial roads?
Mustansir
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 16:55

Today, the begining of the month, was the worst day in my life. As usual I was in the RTA bus at 6:15 in the morning that takes only tawun road. It was very difficult for me even to sit for such a long time as 4-5 hrs in the bus. By the time I could reach my Deira office I was completely exhausted. I request the Sharjah government and the police controls to please help the commuters by blocking all the pocket roads to tawun mall and the corniche road so that the traffic moves in a straight line, smoothly everyday.
Rema
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 16:50

That's true it was especially bad traffic today. Even roads going back to Sharjah from Taawun and Nahda were packed. Is it because of the closure of Indus. 3 R/A?? Anyway it was a parking lot all the way.
Khaled
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 16:45

I left Sunday early morning around 6am from Al Nadha and found out there was a huge traffic going to Al Ittihad Road, I tried to go back and taken Ghusais and exit from Mamzar Bridge and stuck there for about 30mins just to reach Deira, I think the cause of the taffic this morning was the way going Al Garhoud Bridge. Al Ittihad Road is like a bottle neck road going to Dubai and people are sick and tired taking that road everyday of their lives.
Raffy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 16:41

It wasn't easy to reach the office today, even though I live very close the Taawun Mall. I left my house at 6.15, and passed Taawun Roundabout by 9.30! I was in Garhoud by 10.45. We have no idea what caused the crazy delay in the morning. It was funny to see the drivers stopping the engine and standing next to their cars waiting for some movement... Pathetic!
Catalina
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 16:30

Definitely, this morning my commute was worse than usual. Generally it takes me 70 mins. to reach my work place near Deira City Centre from the same route from Sharjah but today it took me 3 hrs and 10 mins. Moreover my car radio was not working so I didn't know what was the reason for such a jam. It was quite frustrating! After reading above news, I figured out the cause of such delay.
Ibad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 16:27

It was a nightmare. The authority should plan and tell to public 3 days before, if they want to divert some road to another.
Suresh
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 16:23

What happened today was unbelievable, I live on Taawun road, but I spent 2 hours alone on it, only to reach the road leading to Sharjah Dubai highway to be closed by police. We didn't know up to this moment what was the problem. I spent 4 hours on the road today to reach my work at DIC at 11:00 am. I usually spend 2 hours on the road, today was just a nightmare!!!
Mai
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 16:17

I started my journey from my home, King Faisal Street, Sharjah in the morning at 5:45. From there I reached the bus station at 6:00, where I waiting for an hour to get a bus at 7:05. But I only reached the Dubai Cinema signal at 11:15!!!
Muhammed
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 16:15

It was the most horrible experience in my entire life. I have never been stuck in one place for such a long time. Seems like a nightmare come ture, The worst was also happenning next to our RTA bus there was this guy who was waiting in his car and went to sleep and by mistake he put his foot on the accelarator banging his car in full speed to the a school.
Sayed Ali
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 16:08

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