Saudi Gazette report MADINAH — A horrific accident that took place on the old Madinah-Qassim highway last Sunday revived calls by citizens, especially female teachers, to take necessary measures to prevent recurrence of such accidents on the road. The residents of Madinah's Al-Aqoul area blocked the road, demanding a senior official inspect the road and lay down urgent solutions to reduce the daily loss of lives on this important artery that links two major regions of the Kingdom. Some brought death certificates of their relatives, who died in accidents on the road. One citizen brought a photocopy of the burial permit for one of his relatives who died in an accident on the same road two days earlier. The residents set up a barrier of iron drums connected to one another by plastic wires to block what they nicknamed the “death road”. They also piled rocks on the road to stop traffic. Col. Fahd Al-Ghannam, spokesman for Madinah police, confirmed that several irate citizens blocked the road after a head-on collision between two cars near a gas station on Sunday evening killed one person and injured several others. He said a number of police patrol units and criminal investigation teams were immediately dispatched to the scene. The situation was grave as the location of the unrest was barely five kilometers away from the city's airport. An understanding was reached with the citizens who dispersed and allowed traffic to resume only after officials assured them that their grievances would be conveyed to concerned authorities. A number of citizens, including several female teachers from Al-Aqoul expressed discontent about municipality officials ignoring their demands to construct a dual carriageway and intensify the presence of traffic patrols on the road. They said the road is being used by hundreds of cars and trucks daily as it is the only road linking Madinah with several neighboring villages and cities. Hidayyan Alwi Al-Rasheedi, a Saudi national, said, “Not a single day passes without we losing one of the residents to this road, which needs to be broadened. The state is sparing no effort in setting up mega projects in Madinah. Why is the state depriving the citizens of this district of some of these projects so that we can live peacefully?” Afaf Ahmad Al-Shareef, a female teacher, said she has been working in one of the schools in Al-Aqoul for the past 14 years. “I use the old Qassim Road daily. Every day we are horrified by terrible accidents we see on the road. There is clear recklessness and negligence on the part of the concerned authorities. There are youths, some of them young boys, who drive in the wrong direction in total disregard for the traffic rules,” she said. She added that the accident involving a kindergarten bus is still lingering in her mind. The bus carrying kindergarten children was hit by a fuel tanker truck. She said she cannot forget the scene of the children in a pool of blood. A female data entry clerk, who is a resident of the district, said many people have died on the road. Her husband was one of the victims. She said the cause of the horrific accident that resulted in his death was a lack of safety measures on the road. She said the road should be expanded to prevent such accidents. Col. Omar Bin Hammad Al-Nazawi, director of safety at the Madinah Traffic Department, promised to intensify traffic patrols on the road. He said a number of violations have been noticed by drivers of trucks and other vehicles. Tickets are issued against violating motorists. Al-Nazawi stressed the importance of abiding by traffic rules on main roads and at intersections.
