Digging and more digging seems to have become the fate of most of Jeddah's roads for over three years now. The extremely slow progress of work in a large number of the city's districts, particularly during the summer break and with the onset of Ramadan, has made matters difficult for motorists and pedestrians alike. The apologetic slogans of contracting and maintenance companies operating in Jeddah stating that they are working for the sake of the citizens and regretting “any inconvenience” seem to be only an eyewash as these companies are clearly working only to fill in their coffers. Going by the amount of unfinished work on many busy streets in the city, one can tell that the unsuspecting citizens of Jeddah are being taken for a ride not only by the contracting companies but also by the mayoralty, Al-Madina daily said. The Jeddah Mayoralty has repeatedly ignored calls by experts and competent figures to establish and declare timetables in order to identify the extent of commitment on the part of companies and for enhanced transparency and accountability. Furthermore, a number of citizens have asked to be apprised of all vital projects and have demanded enhanced accountability and transparency. A number of owners of furnished apartments located on Palestine Street, Al-Bawadi and Heraa districts said that maintenance and construction works have congested the streets and that detours and sealed off areas are greatly affecting their business. Othman Osama and Falah Mohammad Al-Rashidi, both owners of furnished apartments, expressed consternation at the considerable losses they have sustained, particularly in the summer when business elsewhere was booming. Several shop owners also claimed that business slows down markedly when large sections of the streets are sealed off. “We believe that closing off the streets is done according to the whims of workers who want to prevent cars from coming to work sites,” they said. According to some citizens, authorities should not allow companies to operate unless they provide complete maps of the work areas and of service lines. Engineer Hesham Abdin, former secretary of the Municipal Council at Jeddah Governorate, said the activities of construction and maintenance companies require full supervision. “They should be held responsible and action taken against them in case of any delay in the completion of the assigned project,” he said. Abdin said creating intersections on main roads, such as King Abdul Aziz Road in west Jeddah, would solve many traffic problems. The Director of the Bridges and Tunnels Unit at Jeddah Mayoralty, Engineer Sa'id Bafuhaid, said each contractor carrying out maintenance or other projects on Jeddah streets is required to conduct a study to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. Bafuhaid ascribed delay in the completion of existing projects to the relocation of electricity and sanitary and flood drainage projects and denied negligence or omission on the part of the contractors. “According to the law, work is withdrawn in the final phase from any contractor who does not comply with the completion date. Another contractor is commissioned at the expense of the first contractor,” he said. Colonel Mohammad Al-Qahtani, head of Jeddah's Traffic Department, said new infrastructure projects, dismantling of roundabouts, modernization and maintenance of roads are being done in close coordination between the mayoralty and the contractors. “We cannot block major projects, recall workers and vehicles and stall vital projects just because of the advent of summer as the purpose of these projects is to solve major problems at these locations. At the same time, we cannot allow a main street with dense traffic to be closed off for the sake of carrying out a project, particularly if there is no alternative route,” he said. __
