The problem of transport in Jeddah has become intolerable particularly during the last few years. The suffering of citizens and expatriates from this problem is no secret. We all share the nerve-breaking and hypertension as a result of the traffic bottlenecks which have become unbearable especially at peak hours, weekends and official holidays. Some people may think that the nonstandard traffic congestion is resulting from the projects of the high speed Haramain Train project or the underpasses and flyovers currently under construction. This is not the case at all. While we do not deny that the ongoing projects may be contributing slightly to the traffic congestion, they are not wholly responsible for the bottlenecks. The government has spent huge sums of money to improve the streets of Jeddah to match those in the advanced countries. Poor planning and strategy that the municipality has been following for so many years has worsened the condition of streets and with them our own conditions. When I charge the municipality as being responsible, I am fully aware of what I am saying. The interjection of Palestine Street with King Fahd Street is a best example of bad planning. This particular junction, which was completed some years ago, is still facing traffic bottlenecks. It was much better before when there was a traffic light. The crossing is narrow and unable to simultaneously accommodate hundreds of cars. That is not all. The matter becomes worse when a car breaks down in one of the major streets, adding to more traffic jams. All this is only a minor aspect of the sufferings of the residents of Jeddah in a city which they demean by referring to it as ‘The Bride of the Red Sea.' The matter has worsened with the expansion of the city and the migration of many people to the outskirts to avoid the nuisances. This has had a negative impact on the environment and also on one's social life. This raises an important question: for how long are we going to suffer from the transport problem? I do not understand why a city as large as Jeddah still lacks multi-means of transport. There should be public transport especially for students and employees comprising of buses and underground trains. These means of transport should be of high quality to satisfy the needs of the people for easy transport and at the same time synchronizing with the Kingdom's road to advancement.
