UAE traffic: Gridlock as country returns to work after Eid break

As life returns to normal after a long Eid break, Dubai was awash with accidents, in addition to the usual congested traffic spots.

Multiple incidents had been reported in Dubai on Garn Al Sabka Steet from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road towards Sheikh Zayed Road in the Jumeirah direction while another had been reported on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road opposite Silicon Oasis before the E66, Dubai-Al Ain Road intersection, towards Abu Dhabi, causing congestion.

Another accident on the D63 past Mall of the Emirates slowed traffic down around Sheikh Zayed Road, where cars were backed up all the way to Business Bay.

Meanwhile, with schools back, Dubai Police stepped up their awareness on child safety with social media postings warning people to pay heed to school crossing guards.

The E11 Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway went back to pre-holiday congestion levels, making the early commute slow. The same could be seen on the roads leading into Dubai in the early morning, from Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.

Andrew Downing works in finance in DIFC. His commute from Umm Suqeim took 50 minutes with heavy traffic. “Traffic has been crawling all the way to work, with the school buses and everyone back at work, the roads are back to normal now. The summer lull is definitely over.”

Helen Oakley works as a personal assistant in Abu Dhabi and her morning commute from Dubai Marina took over two hours. “It’s been so nice over the summer when the drive was much quieter but that’s not the case any more. It was bumper to bumper again, stressful driving.”