The first day of the new term for many schools led to heavy traffic yesterday, with commuters complaining of delays of up to an hour during the morning rush. Yesterday morning, congestion was particularly bad on Al Ittihad Road - the main artery between Sharjah and Dubai - as motorists struggled to reach their offices in Dubai and Jebel Ali. Traffic was backed up beyond Al Safeer Mall in Sharjah's Al Nahda area to Al Mulla Plaza and in the direction of Al Garhoud.
Al Garhoud houses nearly half a dozen primary and secondary schools, and buses transporting children reach the area early in the mornings on school days. The traffic eased significantly over the summer, with schools closed for the holidays. As several schools in Dubai and Sharjah, mainly those teaching the Indian curriculum, started the new term yesterday, frustrated motorists described seeing some drivers trying to divert or even turning back because of the traffic.
"Al Ittihad Road is relatively clear these days, but I was shocked to see a complete block today," said Anil Nair, a regular commuter from Sharjah to Al Garhoud. "I was late to work by nearly an hour, and I am sure all those who did not anticipate the traffic this morning would have been late." Alternative routes from Sharjah were also crowded with traffic that was avoiding congestion on the main routes, motorists said.
"The traffic was unusual," said Sunil Prakash, another driver using the Sharjah-Dubai route. "A 15-minute drive took me over 45 minutes. I realised later that it was the first day of school when I saw some school buses." pmenon@thenational.ae
