Police direct traffic in a congested Makkah neighborhood.

Traffic congestion on Makkah’s roads in the mornings is resulting in many students arriving late for school.

The gridlock on the city’s roads is affecting workers too, who often arrive late for work, causing them much embarrassment, a local newspaper reported recently.

In Al-Aziziah neighborhood around markets and main roads, there are major blockages, and many motorists parking illegally which obstructs traffic, say citizens.

Ali Muhsin said there are continued violations by motorists in Al-Aziziah because there are few traffic police officers on patrol. Many residents are forced to stay in their homes until the traffic clears, he said.

He said that it is difficult to reach schools on time in the mornings because cars are stuck on the third circular road and at the entrances to neighborhoods. This has been the situation for years despite talk by officials that the situation would improve, he said.

Abdullah Al-Sayed said that people living in their neighborhood get to work late, and are embarrassed because they continually have to make excuses to their employers.

Ali Al-Zahrani said the ongoing work on the city’s streets, with many detours has contributed to the congestion. He said that he often has to wait for a long time at the traffic lights near the Grand Mosque and Arafat.

However, a spokesperson at the Makkah traffic police said that patrols are sent to these locations early in the morning so that children can get to school on time.

Meanwhile, there was a high level of absenteeism at schools in Hail after the holidays, with 55 percent of high school students and 35 percent of middle school pupils staying away. However, 95 percent of elementary students attended classes.

On the first day, students appeared sleepy, resulting in educators taking measures to encourage and energize them. Traffic patrols were also deployed along the streets to prevent congestion.

Ibrahim Al-Junaidi, spokesman of Hail’s department of education, said parents must prepare their children for school. “Families must educate their children on how to be disciplined and not let them stay awake late at night so that they can wake up early,” he said.

He said parents must be good role models for their children. “Children cannot go to sleep while the whole house is still noisy and everybody is up and moving around.”

“There should be some quiet, they should talk to them about the importance of going early to bed and not playing video games during the day. They should involve their children in preparation for school the next day such as choosing their clothes, books and stationery,” he said.