ABHA — Ahad Rafeeda residents have complained about increasing number of traffic accidents along the inter-junctions on its expressway and said the blood of accident victims have colored its asphalt.
During a tour of the Asir region, villagers told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that inter-junctions on the highway have swallowed a large number of precious lives during the past years.
“The highway lacks safety instruction boards,” said Mohammed Bin Mastour. The only family park in the city has a deep hole endangering lives of children, he pointed out.
Salba villagers, meanwhile, said they have been waiting for electricity connections for the past 20 years. They wanted Salba to join Mahail Asir governorate to receive better public services.
Sultan Al-Bishri spoke about growing number of accidents along King Khaled Expressway. “Its inter-junctions are called inter-junctions of death,” he pointed out.
People of Bani Tamim and Al-Qafie highlighted their sufferings as a result of accidents along the road. “The expressway lacks signboards to inform motorists that there is a junction ahead and they have to slow down,” said Dhafir Humaidi.
King Khaled Expressway is a busy road with continuous movement of vehicles. This international road passes by a number of governorates, Najran and Yemen. But people are afraid of accidents.
“We have informed authorities on the need to ensure safety of passengers,” Humaidi said while stressing that the number of accident victims on the road was increasing year after year.
Residents are wondering about the role of Ahad Rafeeda municipality and municipal council in addressing their pressing problems. The two agencies have not taken any action to reduce the number of accidents along the highway, they said.
The family park in Ahad Rafeeda, located opposite the New Hospital, lacks regular cleaning and maintenance. “Families get fresh air in the park but they are worried by deep holes inside the park,” said one resident.
Toilets in Ahad Rafeeda remain closed for days due to lack of coordination.
“Several families visit the park daily but no efforts have been made to ensure its cleanliness,” the resident said.
He said the park was created for people to have entertainment and recreation and spend their spare time for relaxation. The municipality has not established public parks in districts located south of Ahad Rafeeda, even after sending several requests by people.
