The Roads and Transport Authority in Sharjah on Saturday announced the reduction of speed limits on two major roads, namely, Al Ittihad and Al Wahda.
Going forward, motorists will need to adhere to a speed of 80kmph instead of 100kmph, as the speed signs now reflect the new limit.
According to a map shared by the authority, the roughly 4.3km stretch begins from the Al Taawun Bridge just after the Dubai-Sharjah border and ends at the King Faisal Bridge. The E11 highway crosses key neighbourhoods for thousands of motorists who make the daily Dubai-Sharjah commute, including Al Taawun, Al Nahda, Al Wahda and Al Majaz.
Fines for speeding in Sharjah will depend on the road and how much the limit was violated by. However, according to the federal traffic law, penalties can start at Dh300 and go up to Dh3,000, with black points and confiscation of the vehicle applicable in the more severe offences.
The move has been implemented to “ensure smooth traffic flow on the roads”, which sees daily gridlocks during peak traffic hours.
In November last year, authorities implemented a similar speed reduction exercise on the stretch between Sharjah and Al Garhoud Bridge, bringing limits down from 100kmph to 80kmph.
Also Read: “Dubai Ports” and “Saudi Ports” launch the largest integrated logistics zones project
Studying traffic solutions
The UAE is exploring numerous measures to ease traffic woes across the country. Khaleej Times had reported earlier this year that residents lose an estimated equivalent of “one day a month” given the time they spend in traffic.
The Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai had launched a comprehensive survey this month to understand how flexible hours and remote working could potentially help ease commutes.
Meanwhile, in January this year, the Ministry of Interior said it was studying a proposal by the Federal National Council (FNC) to construct a new federal highway connecting all seven emirates.
In another project announced by SRTA this year, 48 AI-enhanced traffic signals are expected to boost traffic flow by up to 30 per cent, with sensors and cameras analysing real-time traffic to adjust signal timings.
The authority also completed two projects in June last year to successfully ease bottlenecks on both Ittihad Road as well as the Al Taawun area.
