THE Kingdom allocates significant amounts of money for road networks linking the various regions of the country. However, many roads, especially highways, are poorly constructed and maintained, increasing damage to vehicles and prompting many to avoid using highways due to the potential dangers they pose. Al-Riyadh investigates the role of contractors in maintaining highways and how everyday road users are affected by potholes and other road hazards. According to truck driver Asif Jabar, a 20-year veteran who transports clothes between Jeddah and Al-Shariqah in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom's highways are littered with potholes and cracks that pose a danger to human life and cause damage to vehicles. “The highways here are dangerous. I have seen so many horrible accidents taking place due to potholes and other flaws in the roads. I have to have the tires frequently changed because of the wear and tear. When the truck has a heavy load, it will tilt a little if it hits potholes or big cracks so I have to be extremely careful as a driver,” he said. Another truck driver, Irfaqat, transports different types of goods from Dubai to Jeddah twice a month. He said road conditions gets worse from Riyadh to Jeddah because of potholes and, like Jabar, he complained about having to frequently change his tires. Terrible condition Citizen Rashid Al-Zahrani is a frequent traveler between Al-Baha and Riyadh. He said road conditions had not always been as bad as they are currently, something which he said was proof contractors are not doing their jobs properly. “I've seen big potholes that need to be filled with cement or something and should be repaired. Some sites have terrible conditions and the drivers need to be warned against them but, unfortunately, there are no warning signs of any kind. Potholes can cause serious damage to a vehicle, damage that could cost a lot of money to fix. Contractors are failing to perform maintenance like they should be and this is something that needs to be addressed,” he said. Khalid Hameed, a frequent road user, said the government spends billions of riyals on road construction and maintenance to ensure that the country has a modern road network. But he too faulted contractors for failing to keep the roads, especially highways, in good condition. “They (contractors) have proven that they have no respect for other people's lives. Potholed roads cause a lot of fatal accidents because they are used by both trucks and small vehicles. Nowadays, most trucks do not use the right lane on highways because they have potholes in them. If a driver has an accident due to potholes, he does not get any compensation from the company in charge of maintaining the highways,” he said. Hameed repeated an accusation that is often circulated among drivers: Contractors use substandard materials to construct roads, which is why new roads begin to show signs of rutting or uneven surfaces shortly after they are opened to the general public. He called on the authorities to impose strict penalties on negligent contractors, especially those that do not comply with international standards and technical specifications of the asphalt layer and the materials used in it. “Other government agencies should be involved in monitoring the performance of contractors and a hotline should be set up so drivers can report potholes and poorly-maintained roads,” he added.
