A large truck crashed into the façade of a famous mall in Makkah's Al-Azizia District at dawn Thursday. Eyewitnesses said the truck crossed over two streets before crashing into the front part of the mall. It appeared the driver lost control of the vehicle. The same location has been the scene of several similar accidents, as vehicles pass through the King Khaled tunnel to the middle of Al-Azizia Street via a steeply descending road and then onto the dual carriageway. This latest accident has now raised a number of questions about the shortcomings in the engineering design of this road. The road has become a hot topic of discussion among the public in Makkah, with many proposing a number of different solutions for the problem. Among the recommendations include the construction of speed breakers, to set up warning lights, to close the exit completely, to open alternative routes that will allow residents to enter the district, and to completely prevent trucks from passing through the road by diverting their route to King Khaled Street. Col. Ahmad Nashi Al-Otaibi, the Director of the Makkah Traffic Department, rejected the idea of closing the road to trucks because it was an indispensable service street. He said the department bans trucks from the road from 6.00 A.M. until midnight. Al-Otaibi said there was an engineering error which had resulted in the steep descent. He has informed the Makkah Mayoralty of the matter. Maj. Fawzi Al-Ansari, spokesman of the Makkah Traffic Department, said that many truck drivers, from outside of Makkah, make accidents because they are not familiar with the sudden and steep descent. “The matter has been discussed in the meetings of the traffic committee and a precautionary decision has been issued, barring trucks from using the road at peak hours. “The Makkah Traffic Department has exhausted all options and has referred the dossier to the mayoralty.”
