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Fences erected to prevent water spill

ABU DHABI - The Abu Dhabi Municipality has erected 15 fences half a metre away from the median of roads in the capital and laid gravel to prevent water from spilling over to the road, Abdul Aziz Al Geraishi, Manager of the Public Parks Section at the municipality, told Khaleej Times recently.

The decision to erect fences followed a few accidents in the capital caused by the slippery surface after water from the watered plants and grass on the road dividers flowed on to the roads.

The latest such mishap took place on July 23 near the Mussafah bridge in which a Yemeni national was killed.

The police report blamed the presence of water on the road for the accident.

The strong fences, Al Geraishi explained, were designed by the municipality's consultants to weather powerful winds which could carry water to the roads. He said these fences would be monitored to ensure they are fool-proof.

Following July 23's accident, Khaleej Times took the matter to a senior municipal official who ordered to form a technical committee to study the accident scene.

The committee recommended fencing of the road divider in the area.

Major Yaslam Al Tamimi, Head of Serious Road Accidents Section, Department of Traffic and Patrols, told Khaleej Times, "Fencing only the area where the accident took place on July 23 is not enough. Many areas suffer from this problem, including near the Zayed Military Hospital. The municipality's irrigation workers leave sprinklers running all night and water spill on to the roads causing accidents." He called for strict monitoring of the watering of plants on road dividers.

adel@khaleejtimes.com