MAKKAH — The Command and Control Center at the Grand Mosque said there are five public transport stops around the Grand Mosque where pilgrims and visitors can take the shuttle service to various destinations in the city. Col. Tariq Al-Ghabban, director of the center, said the five stops are conveniently located around the mosque and serviced round the clock. The five stops are Shaab Amir, Bab Ali, Kuday, Ajyad and Jarwal. "The center has a plan for regulating traffic with the Traffic Department to ensure the smooth movement of vehicles and pedestrians in these areas," said Al-Ghabban. He added that the Traffic Department prevents entry of vehicles to the central area of the city right before Taraweeh prayers end. "The department prevents vehicles from coming near the mosque from Ibraheem Al-Khalil, King Abdullah Road, Talat Al-Hafaer and Jabal Al-Kaaba streets. This is to allow room for pedestrians to exit the mosque safely," said Al-Ghabban. He added only public transport vehicles are allowed to get close to the mosque and pilgrims with cars need to park them in designated parking lots and either walk to the mosque or take public transportation. The center monitors various exits of Makkah such as Jeddah Expressway, Al-Shumaisy Road, Al-Sail Road, Al-Hada Road and the Umrah Road. "We cooperate with many directorates including Haj and Umrah Control Center, Pedestrian Control Center, Diplomatic Security Control Center, the Emergency Control Center, Traffic Department Control Center, Security Control Center and the Grand Mosque Presidency," said Col. Al-Ghabban. He said the center is also responsible for regulating the density of crowds in the various areas of the Grand Mosque. "We monitor the number and capacity of pilgrims going into each area. When one area seems to be overcrowded, then we try to control the crowd by redirecting pilgrims to other gates. We also monitor the movement of worshippers around each gate to ensure a smooth flow as unorganized traffic can cause chaos and catastrophes," he said, while adding the center is responsible for communicating with other authorities to ensure that arising problems are solved in a timely manner.
