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Truck Movement in Residential Areas Safety a Threat to Children

Mohammed Rashid, a resident of Al Rams said many heavy trucks are passing through their towns on a daily basis which is posing threat to the safety of their children who always cross the roads especially when going to shops or coming from schools.

“Some of the truck drivers are stubborn and drive recklessly even when passing in populated areas. The drivers sometimes do not give way to children or other pedestrians crossing the roads which is very risky,” said Rashid.

Abdullah Saeed, a resident of Sha’am and a father of five children aged between five and fifteen years said he is worried about his children’s safety while on the roads as many trucks pass near his home so frequently.

“When I am at home I always make sure that the children go to the shops with elder persons especially when they are to crossing roads. But sometimes the children go out alone in our absence and cross when trucks are passing which is dangerous. Sometimes these trucks are driven by reckless drivers,” he added.

Saeed stressed that trucks should be barred from passing through towns or residential areas to reduce the risks of causing accidents which have on many occasions claimed lives of many people and injured others.

Another resident, Umm Zahrah, said trucks pass through the roads in their area throughout the day which is inconveniencing.

“Besides posing a threat to the safety of the pedestrians especially children in the area, heavy trucks are also a menace to motorists. Some drivers drive poorly and do not mind about other road users. A truck can occupy the whole road and leaves no space for overtaking which sometimes lead to traffic jams especially during the rush hours,” she noted.

Sometimes the trucks are loaded heavily with stones, cement and other materials which increases the risks as their breaks sometimes do not work properly.

Mubarak Ali Al Shamsi, Chairman of the Ras Al Khaimah Municipality said they have received complaints from residents about the problems of trucks passing through their areas.

He noted that the Municipality in coordination with the competent authorities in the emirate will soon put more pedestrian crossings and humps in towns and in residential areas.

The traffic police has also vowed to increase the number of road patrols in the residential areas.

Meanwhile, three people including two children, all of Asian nationalities, sustained injuries in a collision on Monday morning, which involved three vehicles in Ras Al Khaimah.

Captain Mohammed Al Bahri, from the Traffic and Licensing Department in RAK said as one of the vehicles was overtaking a mini-bus, another vehicle entered the road from the right hand-side without looking out for traffic.

Police rushed the victims to Saqr Hospital.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

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