How to solve traffic woes?

WHEREVER you go in the emirates of Dubai and Sharjah, you cannot escape the topic of traffic snarls and jams. It is an endless topic like the English weather. While talking of the weather will hardly evoke any comments, as most people here in the UAE are hardly aware of the actual weather conditions, being cooped up in AC surroundings throughout the day, traffic is a topic that arouses intense passions. Endless cups of tea and coffee have been consumed discussing the topic, and still the problem is nowhere near any solution. Metro rail is often cited as a solution, but will it really be, considering that only the emirate of Dubai will be lucky to have it?

By (TALK OF THE TOWN)

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Published: Sat 25 Jun 2005, 10:57 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 8:09 PM

Now, there is a proposal to start water taxis between Dubai and Sharjah. This is one solution that should work better than any other surface transport, as many major cities use this means of transport to avoid congestion on the roads. Meanwhile, construction of more roads and flyovers has not really succeeded in alleviating the problem, as the number of cars that increase every year defy the good intentions of any town planner. More cars on the roads also increase road rage and lead to several violations like speeding — around 30,000 such violations have occurred in Dubai in the past five months, according to Brigadier Al Zafin, Director of the Traffic Department in Dubai Police.

The solutions should actually be multi-pronged like metro rail, more roads and flyovers, waterways, better public transport, car pooling, and company transport. We all know the solutions, but still they defy us. Why? Some deep thought will have to go into this problem.



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