UAE | Traffic and Transport

Rush home for iftar brings many to standstill

Motorists were stuck in the usual traffic hotspots on the first few days of Ramadan while trying to reach home on time for their iftar meal.

  • By Mariam M. Al Serkal, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:47 September 3, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Traffic towards Sharjah on the Al Ittihad road yesterday evening. Drivers in Sharjah and Dubai have complained of heavy congestion as many rush home for iftar.
  • Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

 

Sharjah: Motorists were stuck in the usual traffic hotspots on the first few days of Ramadan while trying to reach home on time for their iftar meal.

Hundreds of commuters were stuck in heavy tailbacks on the way to Sharjah during the peak hours from 3pm to 6pm on the popular routes at Al Garhoud Bridge, Emirates Road and Al Ittihad Road.

As the number of working hours has been shortened by two for Ramadan, employees are heading home earlier than usual and causing bottleneck traffic due to the sheer number of cars.

Much to the horror of motorists, traffic has been almost at a complete standstill over the past few days at 4pm.

"I got stuck in traffic for almost an hour trying to reach Al Garhoud, and then another hour and a half stuck on Emirates Road while going to Sharjah," said one driver, Wajdi. "I barely reached home on time before the call to prayer."

Motorists also complained that they had to put up with inconsiderate drivers who changed lanes every few minutes.

"The traffic made me very nervous and it was difficult to stay calm when I could see people pushing themselves into other lanes, even though they could clearly see that there was not enough space," said motorist Ahmad Shah.

Alternative routes

"I got stuck for over two hours on Emirates Road, and am completely baffled as to why there are so many cars now," said another driver, Al Sheibani. "Before Ramadan started, the congestion was not as bad as this."

Some commuters said they were able to avoid the congested roads by taking alternate routes. During the peak hours, motorists said they have started to use Dubai Bypass Road that leaves them near Sharjah University City.

 

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