Incessant traffic jams, long queues at intersections and the constant honking of horns is now the order of the day on all busy streets in Jeddah. The harrowing experience for motorists is a far cry from Jeddah's olden days of the early ‘90s when traffic was smooth with several roads being almost empty. The prime reason behind the acute traffic congestion on Jeddah streets is the steep rise in the population of the Gateway to the Kingdom. The other reason is the uncontrolled expansion of the city with many sprawling localities being established on the city's outskirts. Saleh Al-Ghamdi, a Saudi national, feels that the traffic gets worse in the summer season as a lot of visitors and tourists throng the Bride of the Red Sea. Coupled with the rise in the population and the resultant use of more cars, the problem has been exacerbated with the laying of the sewage system across the city. “There are potholes and a lot of construction work is going on. That has added to the already bad traffic situation,” Al-Ghamdi said. “Tourists and visitors are getting a bad impression of the city's infrastructure,” he added. “No one is against developmental projects. But this has to be done systematically and not in a haphazard manner as is being done now,” he said. Malik Mumtaz Ahmed, an employee of Juffali Company, came to the Kingdom some 30 years ago. “Traffic is getting worse because of more cars on the roads. Companies offer cars on easy installments. That's why we have even young boys owning a car,” he said. Malik hopes that planned bridges and underground passes will make the situation better. Malik Mohammad Shahbaz, a Pakistani working here as a domestic driver, feels that several malls and supermarkets that have recently cropped up in Jeddah have put a strain on the city's streets. “The mega malls are incompatible with the infrastructure. There is a dire need to construct more flyovers and bridges,” he feels. __
