Saudi Gazette report MADINAH — Several Madinah citizens have expressed concern over the increasing number of accidents on the Madinah-Eiss Road that serves the villages, centers and northern governorates of the region. They said the reasons include stray camels, absence of traffic police, lack of monitoring and the absence of a weighing station for trucks carrying excess weight. Saudi citizen Saeed Al-Jihani said: “Many accidents take place on this vital road that is used by motorists to and from Madinah. Some of the accidents are horrific, claiming the lives of hundreds. The majority of these accidents are due to collisions with stray camels that were left to graze without being watched.” Ali Al-Jihani said, “The agricultural road linking Madinah to many other places, known as Shajwa Road, has witnessed several accidents due to collisions with stray camels. The camels take the motorists by surprise, especially at night. They are difficult to spot on the road at night.” Saleh Al-Arwi said another factor that has increased the suffering of the users of this road, which witnesses heavy traffic, is that “it is devoid of any police checkpoints or Red Crescent centers. The road witnessed many painful accidents. As for the danger of stray camels, it is at its peak due to the absence of a fence to keep them away from the road.” Salim Al-Jihani said the dangers included “speeding and the heavy traffic of trucks carrying fodder and other goods beyond acceptable weights. The absence of police patrols has contributed to speeding.” Discussing stray camels, one of the motorists on this road asked: “Don't the owners of these stray camels have any conscience? They just leave their camels to move everywhere without monitoring.”
