Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH – The motor vehicle periodic inspection (MVPI) center in the heart of Abumaragh district in Makkah has drawn indignation of its residents who face traffic jams and environmental pollution as a result of a large number of vehicles visiting the center daily and the presence of many workshops that serve them.

“We are not able to reach schools and offices on time as a result of traffic bottlenecks caused by the large number of vehicles including huge trucks that queue up in front of the MVPI center,” said Abdul Majeed Al-Jamiee, a resident of Abumaragh.

Hundreds of vehicles come to the center every day causing many problems to the residents. Moreover, illegal foreign workers run a number of workshops in the district to provide quick repair services to vehicle owners who want to get through the MVPI test.

Al-Jamiee urged authorities to shift the center to a remote place away from residential areas. “It’s surprising that the authorities allowed the establishment of MVPI center inside the residential district in violation of existing rules and regulations,” he pointed out.

“We spend a long time on the road due to traffic jams caused by the presence of a large number of vehicles on the district’s roads,” Al-Jamiee told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. “This delays arrival of students at schools and employees at government offices,” he added.

He said the absence of traffic patrols in the district has forced many individuals to step in control the traffic flow, especially during peak hours when students go to schools and employees to work.

Hamid Awad highlighted the problems caused by automobile workshops in the district. “Some of these workshops are located close to our homes and have polluted the environment,” he said, adding that most of them are run by illegal foreign workers.

He expressed his concern over the presence of a large number of illegal workers in the district who live in dilapidated buildings, posing a security threat.

“These workshops spread a nasty odor due to the mixing of oil, grease and smoke,” Awad told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. He urged the authorities to shift the center from the district to a remote area in order to end the suffering of the residents.

Khaled Al-Johani spoke about huge trucks that park in front of their homes, posing a potential danger to residents, especially children. “These trucks sometimes close the main entrance of a nursery school in the area,” he said and urged police to control traffic on Abumaragh's roads.