By Ahmad Al-Luhayyani
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
MAKKAH — A year has gone by and the contractor has not completed the asphalting of roads in the fourth district in the Crown Prince housing scheme in Makkah.
The residents were optimistic that asphalting of the roads would be a viable solution to their transportation woes and spare them the burden of driving along sand tracks. But the delay in the completion of the project made everyone wonder when would the contractor return to complete the road project and save them from their daily suffering.
Abdullah Azab and Mohammed Qadi told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that they built their dream houses on the outskirts of Makkah thinking everything was going to be fine, especially after the completion of the construction work. But to their surprise, the area remained underdeveloped and the contractor responsible for the roads started the project but is no longer visible to complete it.
“We are unable to access our homes, which have become sand dunes especially after the project contractor started the asphalt work,” Qadi said.
Azab pointed out that he had paved a 200-meter stretch of the road with rocks so that he could reach his home, which cost him a lot of money, but the contractor’s machinery swept it off a year ago.
“The residents of the neighborhood have to buy four-wheel drive vehicles to prevent them from falling into the holes and cracks,” said Mansour Al-Shalawi.
Badia Samkari agreed. “Many cars get trapped in the sand and we can’t get assistance to remove cars from the fragile sand,” he said.
Al-Shalawi pointed out that one of the most pressing problems facing people of the neighborhood is the high cost of delivering water trucks to their homes. The price of a tank is SR240 while it is SR180 in the neighboring housing schemes.
Mahfouz Al-Zahrani pointed to another problem: The mosques in the neighborhood are modestly constructed by residents cutting iron tins. They do not meet Civil Defense safety conditions. He called for the decision-makers in the branch of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Makkah to rebuild these mosques with better material and in designated locations.
He pointed out that the plan adopted by the Makkah Municipality nearly 20 years ago lacked many services and amenities, including water and sanitation systems, lighting, paved roads and public parks, despite the completion of construction in 65 percent of the residential district.
