JEDDAH — The municipality has begun tackling the problem of encroachment on public roads as per Emir Khalid Al-Faisal's directives, Makkah newspaper reported. Jeddah Municipality official spokesman Omar Al-Humaidan said the emir issued an official order to submit a full report on encroachment of public streets and roads in the province within 30 days. "The municipality will, therefore, cooperate with Jeddah Governorate's Encroachment Committee to tackle the encroachment problems there. There have been rumors that a renowned businessman had encroached a public street in front of his castle but the rumors are untrue," said Al-Humaidan. He said the encroachment in that area belonged to a nearby construction project that spilled over into the public streets. "The municipality has responded to the citizens' complaints and removed the construction ruins to open the streets again and allow citizens to drive through them safely. We have set up a hotline for reporting encroachment to expedite the process of clearing out the streets and roads of the province. Citizens are urged to report any encroachment they come across," said Al-Humaidan. He also said the municipality will not tolerate any exceptions and all construction sites must respect their licensed areas. "Encroachments are illegal and a violation of public property which is the responsibility of the municipality to preserve and maintain. With the help of the citizens, we can get the job done and clear the entire governorate in less time and effort," said Al-Humaidan. He also said the emir has ordered to submit a report of the status of the encroachment. "We will not remove the encroachment within the next 30 days. We have to wait for the emir's directive after he reviews the report. We receive the reports of encroached public properties from citizens via social media or the website," said Al-Humaidan. He also said the municipality contacts traffic committees to verify the reports. The municipality has received 20 reports from citizens so far.
