UAE | Traffic and Transport

Traffic nightmare on Dubai-Sharjah road

Traffic between Sharjah and Dubai was at a standstill on Sunday evening

By Sunita Menon, Senior Reporter
Published: 08:59 March 1, 2010

Image Credit: Atiq-Ur-Rehman/Gulf News Reader
Traffic at Al Wahda street in Sharjah after rain flooded many streets.

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Dubai: Traffic between Sharjah and Dubai was at a standstill on Sunday evening, with the daily commute home taking motorists more than four hours.

Rains and thunderstorms that lashed the UAE on Saturday evening saw major intersections and roads submerged that resulted in traffic being diverted to the Dubai by-pass road, and the partial closure of Emirates road close to the National paints roundabout.

Traffic congestion at the Al Ittihad road drove motorists into fits of road rage, with many verbal brawls breaking out between fellow motorists as they tried to change lanes.

"There was literally no escape. Driving to back home to Sharjah on Sunday evening was a nightmare. I left my work at 5:30pm. The drive until Wafi on Al Garhoud was not that bad but after that the traffic just came to a stand still. It took be exactly an hour and 26 minutes to pass the Al Garhoud bridge and from then on there was no point in looking at your watch. I knew, that it will be well past 9pm before I reached home. I finally reached home at King Faisal at 9:46pm," said Javed Khan a Sharjah resident.

It took Vijayan Nair a resident of Al Quasis four hours to get back home yesterday evening from his work place located on the Shaikh Zayed road. According to him he developed a terrible pain on his right leg. "I felt a numbness on my right leg after being stuck in traffic for four long hours. I left work at 7:45pm and reached home by 10:45pm. It was a total nightmare.

“When I finally got down from there vehicle, I felt a terrible pain on my right leg and found myself limping. It usually takes me half-an-hour to reach home in Al Quasis through the Business Bay but yesterday evening I hit traffic after I got down from the fly over that runs alongside the Dubai mall and takes you to the Business Bay. I have no idea how I will be able to get home today. I have no choice but to get stuck in the traffic because as far as I know, the conditions on the road that lead to Sharjah still the same with large ponds of stagnant rain water."

Lama, a resident of Al Wahda in Sharjah, said that she was nearly driven to tears by the heavy traffic congestion. She works at the front desk in an office located on Al Garhoud. Calling her journey back home as backbreaking she said it took her nearly four-and-a-half hours to reach home.

"Talking about it makes me angry and will make me cry. My husband and me were delayed for hours and my 11 year-old son was all alone at home with the maid. He kept calling his mother and father, alternatively, every ten minutes and that drove me to tears. This is not the first time that it rained in Sharjah. Every year when it rains, the residents have to go through this problem of traffic congestion and road closures."

Lama had decided to take a couple of days break from work and have only decided to resume work. "It was took much for me and I am not going to put myself through that agonising journey back home after a hard day's work," she said.

Have your say

How long did it take you to reach home last night? How was your journey into work this morning? If there is heavy rain forecast would you take a day off work?

Comments (45)

Added 18:32 March 1, 2010

It has been almost 40 years now that since the infrastructure of the country was formed... and till now we never came up with any good solution to avoid what happens every single time it rains...

Mark Freiwat, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 18:20 March 1, 2010

This is definitely not the first time that it has rained here in Dubai and across UAE. Every year whenever it rains we come across water shortage issue in our building. Watchman claims that the motor pumping water up to the different floors get shorted because of the water spilling onto it. Add to this, we have children who end up leaving home early to accomodate the delays on the roads and both my kids reach home later than usual whenever there is a rain since their bus most definitely gets stuck in the traffic. For residents of Sharjah, the situation is much worse since they have to traverse the entire traffic in Dubai before they can even enter their emirate which will be badly flooded even from the slightest downpour. When will our traffic woes ever end?

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 18:12 March 1, 2010

today morning was also not different.I left my house at 7.50 am to go to jebel ali and the moment i started of from abu shagara,i was stuck in inside roads.thought of taking a diversion to king faisal road which made my situation worser.atlast after 2 hours of leaving from my home ,i was still on one of the inside roads of king faisal which is 5 mnts walkable distance from my house.atlast reached work place around 11.30am. how much time i have to spent on road in the evening makes me sick again

Sree, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Added 18:02 March 1, 2010

Indu You shouldnt wait for authorities to do everything for you, thay have lots of bigger problems to tackle. We must use our common sense and deligence based on our past experiences and take the initiative not to send our children to school for a few days and possibly ourselves stay at home till the deluge is over. We have this situation for 4 months every year in Mumbai, and we all know when to just stay put at home - a few days off from work or school will not be a big problem for most of us and we can actuially use this time for some family bonding activities.

Mahesh Butani, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 16:50 March 1, 2010

After rains in U.A.E, due to water-pools, the roads in Sharjah were closed. The solution found out was to close the Emirates Road in Dubai area, so that people residing in area like Al Qusais, Muhaisana, where there are no water-pools should suffer, in addition to people residing in Sharjah. Brilliant Thought ....

Rajesh, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 15:13 March 1, 2010

I left from Al Qouz at 17 55 to buisenss bay towards airport tunnel.the first 20 min i drove normal but just berfore jadaf exit everything get very bad.some pepole just don t know how to behave in trafic and they don t have respect for others...maybe they never drive somewere in europe were law of trafic and respect it s part of home education. it sad sad sad :(

Adrian, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Added 14:48 March 1, 2010

It was really horrible, I left from my work, near the Dubai Mall, at 4.35 pm and took Main road through Gurhood bridge.I reached there at 5 pm and from that bridge to Flower centre taken 3 hours...Its really pathetic and painfull just sitting and driving.Moreover there were no facilities and no space for Toilets. Thats really painful, If authority make some Public toilets on the banks of the road every 5 km that would be appreciated, especially the situation like this kind.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 14:27 March 1, 2010

My brother and I left from dubai Academic City at precisely 4:50 pm. We heard that Emirates Road was closed. We took Business Bay instead only to be greeted by an overwhelming amount cars honking at one another once we reached the Rashidiya bridge near Dubai Festival City. 2 hours later, we reach our home in Al Qusais. Today, with news of more rain, we're not sure whether to brave the roads to get to our university. I wish there were news of whether Emirates Road is open today or not. It's hard to take chances and get caught up in more than 2 hours of traffic just to get home. And perhaps, maybe schools/universities should postpone classes until the weather turns up again.

Francesca, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 14:16 March 1, 2010

Its realy pathetic "If we are unable to solve a problem at least reduce the suffering of people. Authorities should have decleared Day off for at least Educational Institutes,kids have spent 5 yes Five Hours coming from Academic City to Sharjah. I spent 5 hrs just to reach 2nd Interchange on Sharjah Airport Rd in morning

Vickram, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Added 13:47 March 1, 2010

I left work at Dubai Trade Center at about 5.15PM. A colleague called up and told me that he got into ittihad road and found it ok, but warned of more traffic. Having spent 4 hours in the morning on emirates Road, i decided to take the Dubai bypass road, all the way back to ajman, where i live. it was the first time on Dubai Bypass , but it took me under 2 hours, even though i stopped for petrol. Not bad, but double the distance! why doesnt the mnicipality sort this out, especially on an important arterial road like Emirates Road? winn

Winn, Dubai/Ajman, United Arab Emirates