Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — A number of drivers are using 12 routes known as smuggling points to drive their trucks inside the city during curfews on such vehicles. Big trucks are not allowed to enter Jeddah from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., from 12 noon to 3 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to midnight. Trucks are often blamed for huge traffic jams that the city's streets witness during rush hours. Residents in east Jeddah complained these trucks create congestion in small streets. They told the Arabic newspaper Makkah that heavy goods vehicles are using these roads to travel from one point to another during the truck curfew. Trucks cannot use the highways because they will be spotted by police. Instead, they travel between neighborhoods to reach their destination, causing traffic congestions and damaging these small roads because they cannot cope with the size and weight of the vehicles. Turki Al-Harbi, owner of furnished apartment building east of Jeddah, said trucks frequent the streets of Al-Samer, Al-Ajwad and Al-Ruhaili neighborhoods instead of the main highway during the curfew. He said that trucks are supposed to stop at a temporary rest point until the curfew is over. “Those who want to travel north of Jeddah or Madinah would use the roads in Bahra and east of Jeddah neighborhoods, causing us no end of stress. “Often these trucks carry food materials, some of them carry cement and others iron, gas and water. There are those who park their trucks for weeks inside our neighborhoods. “I wish the traffic department would monitor the neighborhoods east of Jeddah. “Some of the truck owners cannot wait and want to deliver their shipment and are willing to breach the official curfew.” Gen. Waslallah Al-Harbi, head of the Jeddah traffic department, said more than one government department are supervising the entry of trucks during curfew hours. He said these trucks would not be allowed to enter Jeddah, whether from the Al-Haramain Expressway or any other roads. “Anyone caught driving during the curfew will be fined according to the rules and regulations. “The traffic department is exerting maximum efforts to ensure that traffic is smooth during rush hour, especially in the mornings when students go to school and in the afternoons when they leave. “Traffic officials are deployed in many locations to monitor the roads.” He pointed out that violators would be detained for repeat violations. There are 25 locations around Jeddah where trucks are temporarily blocked from entering Jeddah. Companies and contractors are forced to comply with this rule. Enforcement of the rule comes from a team comprising officers of the traffic department, Ministry of Transport and highway patrols.
