Jeddah traffic police on alert for new school year

Every September at the start of school year, traffic jams grind motorists to a dead standstill as parents begin taking their children to school.
This year school starts on Sunday. Parents find themselves in the unenviable position of having to take their kids to school and then report late to work.
In the past there were not enough traffic policemen to regulate the huge increase in traffic, and there was no comprehensive plan to address the situation. In addition, there is lack of “traffic awareness” among some people, especially teenagers, who do not comply with the traffic regulations.
Hassan Al-Amiri, a father of four children, said, “We have to go through this ordeal every year.
“Everybody seems to leave home for school or work at the same time.”
“I drive after dawn to take my kids to school. My kids study in schools that are geographically at large distances from each other. I do this in order not to report late to work, which starts at 8 a.m,” he said.
He added: “Last year I had to go through very nasty traffic jams. There were no traffic police to regulate the traffic. On one day it was especially bad and I arrived at my office at 9 a.m. My boss deducted the whole day from my paycheck.”
Lt. Col. Zaid Al-Hamzi, spokesman for the Traffic Department, said that for this school year the department has drawn up a strict plan to be effective on the first day of school.
“We deployed 300 traffic patrols that contain more than 2,500 traffic policemen to cover many neighborhoods,” Al-Hamzi said.
“We especially placed patrols around schools, in order to regulate traffic and alleviate any congestion that may emerge. We will deploy these teams in the morning, at the start of school day, and in the afternoon. These are rush hour times for both students and employees,” he said.
He added: “I urge all motorists, especially those who drive school kids, to leave home early for school, to comply with the traffic regulations, to avoid reckless driving, and to cooperate with the traffic police, in order to avoid getting stuck in a traffic jam. This way they can reach their schools and workplaces on time.”