Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Signage adds to the road problems, Pt. 2

I highlighted this way back in January.

So many appallingly badly planned and incorrectly placed road signs are adding to the chaos on our roads. Far too many are misleading, they are inconsistent, as are the road markings.

Motorists are confused, making last second decisions on lane changing or turning. Driving standards are bad enough as it is, without this completely unacceptable nonsense adding to the danger.

Today's Gulf News has a story on a new one that nearly caught me out last week. It begins:

A confusing road sign on Shaikh Zayed Road is leading motorists the wrong way, wasting their time and money.

Motorists travelling on Shaikh Zayed Road from the World Trade Centre tunnel towards Al Garhoud bridge said that the sign before the Karama tunnel frustrates them and adds to the traffic chaos.

It has a sign directing motorists to the Al Garhoud Bridge but the road in fact leads to Karama and the Al Maktoum Bridge.


You can see the problem from the photograph; people weave about lane-changing, particularly in the four left-hand lanes, because they're not sure which way they should be going.


KARL JEFFS/Gulf News

It's inexplicable, it's avoidable, it's stupidity. Remember that these things don't just happen, they are planned carefully and deliberately. It's just plain incompetence from the road planners - yet again.

It has to stop. Whoever is responsible needs to be held accountable. Dubai deseves better than this.

4 comments:

trailingspouse said...

I don't think they even put a piece in the paper about this new road link either, yet it's a section that's used by most of Dubai on a regular basis. For weeks the road was open with no signage at all . . . a kind of magical mystery tour.

shansenta said...

I happened to go to Media City after a long time and was completely puzzlled!!

I wasted one full hour to take the right exit to get into the city. I wonder anyone of your readers faced the same problem? Or is it only me?

Seabee said...

Shansenta, I was sent the wrong way by signs again today. I'll post a piece on it...

ts, it was better without the signs!

Tainted Female said...

In the photo... you can actually see the tire marks (though I'm not sure if they're from construction vehicles or people changing their minds last minute), it's scary to imagine.

I haven't driven on this road in a while. I think I'll take it today just to see.