UAE: Heavy traffic on first day of the week as schools reopen

Roads in UAE witnessed heavier traffic on Monday morning as schools resumed after the two-month summer break.

All the major roads such as Ittihad Road, Al Taawun Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road that connect Sharjah-Dubai were clogged as yellow buses dotted the roads in the early hours on Monday.

Google Maps and Waze showed traffic on Ittihad Road was moving at a snail's pace from Safeer Mall to Al Mulla Plaza at around 6.40am.

Also, roads connecting Muweilah, Al Nahda, Al Qusais, Al Barsha and other areas where most of the schools are located were witnessing very heavy traffic in the early hours.

Schools reopened across the UAE on Monday after two months of summer holidays. During July-August, school buses were off the roads, hence, there was much less traffic.

Expecting heavier traffic, many motorists started the day early on Monday in order to reach the office in time.

“I knew roads would be clogged, therefore, I started the day early. I have been driving for over five years, shuttling between Sharjah and Dubai for office every day. Therefore, I knew traffic would be much slower during the school day, so I started the day much earlier today,” said Osama Amin, a Sharjah resident.

Kiran Khan, who works in the financial sector, said she started her day an hour earlier than the summer break days.

“I usually leave at around 7.15am for my office work. But today, I started half an hour early due to heavy traffic as schools reopened after the breaks,” said Khan.

Police were also monitoring the traffic in order to improve the flow from the early hours.

Importantly, the UAE is marking August 28 as a 'Day Without Accidents,' hence, drivers are encouraged to drive safely. Drivers can take a pledge on the Ministry of Interior website. If they avoid an accident and don’t commit a traffic violation today, four black points will be cleared from their driving licence.

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• UAE
• Dubai
• Sharjah