Nada Al-Maddah Okaz/Saudi Gazette MAKKAH – Over 950 buses will shuttle between the Grand Mosque and various boarding points in the holy city to provide transportation for the huge number of Umrah pilgrims and visitors during Ramadan, said Muhammad Madani, director of transportation and roads department in Makkah and chairman of the transportation committee. The committee has mobilized all of its capabilities to provide the guests of Allah with the necessary services, he added. Madani urged Umrah performers and visitors to strictly follow the transportation plans designed for their comfort. He also called upon Makkah residents to use public transportation to reduce traffic jams in the city. “Six public bus stations operate in the central area around the Grand Mosque while 10 parking lots have been readied inside Makkah and at its entrances." The committee also announced the transportation plan for guests of hotels in different areas. Brig. Mishal Al-Maghrabi, director of Makkah Traffic Administration, said hotels on Ajyad St. would be provided with coasters offering shuttle service between Kudai intersection and Al-Masafi intersection (Al-Maskhouta Tunnel). Hotels located in Al-Aziziyah neighborhood will transport their guests to Mahbas Al-Jinn Mosque, where they will have access to the shuttle service to the Grand Mosque. Hotels located in Al-Maabidah neighborhood and nearby can take their guests to Al-Ghazza area near the Grand Mosque. Hotels located in the western and southern districts of Makkah can transport guests to the parking lot in Kudai. Those located at Umm Al-Qura Road can take their guests to Al-Souq Al-Sagheer near the Grand Mosque. Abdullah Al-Siwat, executive director of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), said hotels would be allowed to transport their guests as per the approved transportation plans. Earlier, Prince Ahmed Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior, approved a security plan that will see 28,000 officers mobilized throughout the month in the holy city. Those officers will be in charge of vehicle traffic and will manage crowds of pilgrims on roads leading to the Grand Mosque. In the last 10 days of Ramadan, the central area around the Grand Mosque will be converted to a prayer area to accommodate the influx of worshippers.
