UAE | Traffic and Transport

Shop owners and industries sore over poor Ajman roads

The lack of proper roads in the Ajman industrial area, where pipelines are being installed to improve the sewage and drainage systems, is upsetting company owners who said that their businesses are suffering as a result.

  • Syed Bilal Shafi, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:50 October 14, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Karl Jeffs/Gulf News
  • Roadworks in the Ajman industrial area, where the municipality is installing sewage pipelines, have left business owners worrying over losing business as cars are forced to take alternative routes.

Ajman: The lack of proper roads in the Ajman industrial area, where pipelines are being installed to improve the sewage and drainage systems, is upsetting company owners who said that their businesses are suffering as a result.

Owners of shops and industries in the area did not want their names mentioned for fear.

They complained that the absence of proper alternative routes hinders local and foreign customers from visiting the area, and portrays a negative impression of the city.

"We don't mind them [the municipality] laying down tubes to make roads more durable. But at least they should make effective diversions to help motorists," the owner of a lubricants factory said.

Substandard conditions

Some of the roads where maintenance work is in progress have several cracks, potholes and dirt humps. A number of the roads, including the main road leading into the industrial area, do not even have street lights.

"Cars can easily get damaged if drivers are not careful. Once, the bottom covering of my car came off. Such road conditions will definitely prompt our clients to think twice before coming here," he said.

"My store's profit has decreased by 50 per cent," said the manager of a supermarket. "Every now and then we have to clean our store because it gets dusty."

The owner of a hardware store said taxis and supply vehicles also avoid the industrial area. "Therefore many times we have to go and get the products ourselves. Our revenue has decreased by 40 to 45 per cent and working in this unhealthy environment also made me sick once."

Motorists said driving here has become problematic due to lack of signage. "One day a road is usable; the next day we have to look for alternatives because it has been dug up," the manager of a packaging company said.

"What's funny is that there are no message boards mentioning road works in progress or stating an apology for the inconvenience."

Patience urged

The municipality is urging shop and industry owners to be patient. "They should bear with us and have patience as a proper drainage system is necessary to ease water flow and to protect the roads from further being damaged, especially when it rains," said Mamoon Mohammad Awadi, chief road engineer at the infrastructure department of the municipality.

He added that the municipality is simultaneously rebuilding some of the roads, while others will be constructed after all the pipes have been installed.

According to Awadi, 75 per cent of the pipes have been installed and the project, estimated at Dh35 million, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The roads maintenance project, which costs around Dh42 million, is likely to be completed by March 2009.

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