# Worsening traffic



## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Does anyone else think that the traffic has actually gotten worse since the end of the summer? It's not just the post-summer/back to school/work uplift but it's much worse than it was before the summer.

Case point: driving back from AD, the traffic is free flowing all the way till the Novotel in Al Barsha, then it was stop and go the rest of the way.

Now the traffic back up begins just after the Marina. 

It's insane. Almost bad enough to make me move to Abu Dhabi 

I can't figure out why. Are more people moving to Dubai? But the dealerships say car sales are down, distributors say furniture sales are down, property prices are declining, even rents have stagnated rather than increasing. So what gives?


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## Racing_Goats (Sep 5, 2015)

It's been just over a year since AD govt employees were supposed to move to Abu Dhabi or lose their housing allowances, maybe they found a way around it and all moved back 

Tonight the radio said there were a couple of accidents around Barsha and one at Eastern mangroves.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Racing_Goats said:


> It's been just over a year since AD govt employees were supposed to move to Abu Dhabi or lose their housing allowances, maybe they found a way around it and all moved back  Tonight the radio said there were a couple of accidents around Barsha and one at Eastern mangroves.


Took me an hour from DIFC to Jumeirah 2!


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## Froglet (May 7, 2014)

Knowledge village is terrible these days as well! But that is due to construction going on..


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## Windsweptdragon (Aug 12, 2012)

Lived in DIFC for over a year now, can see straight up SZR. Traffic queues appear to be and last much longer going towards Sharjah side now more than ever. Even now at 20:20 it's not clear. Certainly put me off moving anywhere I'd need to travel in that direction from work.


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

I probably see a car crash everyday in Abu Dhabi.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

iggles said:


> I probably see a car crash everyday in Abu Dhabi.


I see them daily on the Dubai forum!


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

I live in The Marina and work in Jebel Ali so not really effected most of the time. Occasionally I go to Sharjah in the mornings though, starting some time last year the traffic stopped flowing and became jammed up at several spots between The Marina and Trade Center. It wasn't like that when I got here 3-1/2 years ago.


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

Stevesolar said:


> I see them daily on the Dubai forum!


If you need help, I know a super mod in the making


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Definitely, despite being constantly told I'm either imagining it or it's back to school - who's at school at 7.30 at night?

5pm onward, SZR road heading towards Sharjah is definitely getting worse, tailing back to MOE and not letting up until late. The beach road is nightmare post work too and never really been that bad in the past.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

It's puzzling.

I have no problems driving to AD in the morning. From my place near Dubai Mall I can get to my office on the corniche in 1:15, departing at 7 and arriving at 8:15. But the evenings are up to two hours return. Before the summer it was around 1:35 return on average. I leave AD at 5 most days and don't get home till 7, and last week I stayed late and left at 6:30, but still didn't get home till 8:30!

Something has definitely changed and it's certainly not the schools as they finish around 3, don't they? I run into school traffic in the morning and it's nowhere as bad as the evening traffic.

Does it have to do with the canal scheme? But what other major construction works is affecting the traffic these days?

I don't believe it's a sudden population influx as it's not corroborated by anything else.



Mr Rossi said:


> Definitely, despite being constantly told I'm either imagining it or it's back to school - who's at school at 7.30 at night?
> 
> 5pm onward, SZR road heading towards Sharjah is definitely getting worse, tailing back to MOE and not letting up until late. The beach road is nightmare post work too and never really been that bad in the past.


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Froglet said:


> Knowledge village is terrible these days as well! But that is due to construction going on..


Tell me about it. Half hour yesterday to reach my office, when is normally a 5 min drive (I can see my office from my living room). Will try an alternate route today...


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

75 minutes from DIFC to Silicon Oasis. Excluding the usual jam around DIFC, E66 was a total mess. There didn't seem to be an accident, just a bus that had broken down and pulled onto the hard shoulder. Between gawkers, rubber neckers and people that have to slow down if there's a car on the hard shoulder - as they believe they'll somehow unwittingly plough into it - things slowed to a crawl. 

Best I can see is the ****wits tearing up the outside and cutting in, made it impossible for any momentum to build up again.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Just bad drivers like those driving with their hazards on in the fog today.


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

The issue is not just construction in Dubai. I drive from RAK to Jebel Ali at least once weekly in the morning and back in the evening. Anytime prior to 0900hrs, there is even a backup on E611 between Al Dhait Road and Maliha Road. On the return around 1800hrs, the section from Al Awir Road to Maliha Road is effectively a parking lot and that 13km stretch takes an hour or longer. 

This is the third winter that I've been doing this commute and E611 has never had these kind of issues before.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

pamela0810 said:


> Just bad drivers like those driving with their hazards on in the fog today.


No headlights or foggies either: natch.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> No headlights or foggies either: natch.


Just heard on Radio 2, in a UAE-wide survey about driving in fog, 8% or people do not know what fog lights are!

Why am I not surprised?


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## SomewhatIrked (Oct 1, 2015)

The Rascal said:


> Just heard on Radio 2, in a UAE-wide survey about driving in fog, 8% or people do not know what fog lights are!
> 
> Why am I not surprised?


I'm shocked it's only 8%.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

SomewhatIrked said:


> I'm shocked it's only 8%.


Indeed Alittlebitmiffed


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## Yussif (Jul 27, 2015)

stick a zero on the end would be a bit closer to the true figure


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## SomewhatIrked (Oct 1, 2015)

The Rascal said:


> Indeed Alittlebitmiffed


I'll think you'll find it's pronounced TinsyBitAggitated


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

So why is the traffic suddenly worsening? 

Possible answers:

1. Big population influx (but this is not borne out by other statistics)

2. Construction forcing people to change routes - such as the canal project. But what other major construction schemes can be slowing down the projects in critical areas far away from the canal site?

3. Shifting of population within UAE, people moving from more expensive areas to cheaper areas due to soaring rents of the past few years. Could result in more people commuting to/from Sharjah.

4. Increased population in new areas such as Al Barsha apartment district, or Dubailand, putting increased pressure at intersections with key roads to those areas (such as Hessa Street), leading to bottlenecks at those already poorly designed exchanges/exits. 

5. All of the above?


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

TallyHo said:


> So why is the traffic suddenly worsening?
> 
> Possible answers:
> 
> ...


Bell ends, lost of bell ends.


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

I am sure I read analysts claiming a rise in fuel price would mean less traffic as a lot of people would sell their cars and start walking/cycling to work


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

The Rascal said:


> Just heard on Radio 2, in a UAE-wide survey about driving in fog, 8% or people do not know what fog lights are!
> 
> Why am I not surprised?


75% knew what their fog lights were; it is what others know as high beam


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Tropicana said:


> I am sure I read analysts claiming a rise in fuel price would mean less traffic as a lot of people would sell their cars and start walking/cycling to work


True but after the initial ruse, hasn't it gone down the following two months ?

I must admit I don't even look at the price.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

It's gone down in October. That explains the rise in traffic Tallyho. Glad we could solve your problem


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## Desert_Ed (Jun 16, 2014)

*Don't think it's to do with the petrol price*

considering the price increase and subsequent decreases have effectively brought the price back to where it was, and the traffic is significantly worse (IMHO).

However this article in shortlist offers an explanation.

Two Hollywood Blockbusters Currently Filming In Dubai - Features - ShortList Dubai

Ed


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

it's like destruction derby here


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