Officials in the Makkah municipality of Al-Mu'abada have resolved to end congestion in one of its main streets by fining car repair workshops SR500 for every vehicle found parked on pavement and obstructing traffic outside garages. Municipality head Ahmed Manshi said that the pavement area on the road would be removed within two days and replaced with a yellow line. “This should open the way for cars,” he said. “The garage owners sometimes try to make out that the cars parked there belong to their staff in order to avoid fines, and they are causing problems all over town.” Garage owners, however, say the move threatens to ruin their businesses. “Where are cars that need repairing going to park?” asked one garage owner. “We put a chord outside next to the road to stop people parking in front of the workshop, but they don't take any notice of it and they park all over the pavement.” Garage owners also claim the municipality narrowed the road by putting in the pavement in the first place. “The road hardly has room for the width of a single car,” another said. “We went to the traffic police to try and sort the situation out, but nothing's been done.”
