Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The General Traffic Department is studying to change schools and universities hours and encourage more “remote” work in some government agencies to ease the traffic in Riyadh.

The Department spokesman Mansour Al-Shakra said that Traffic and Proposed Operational Solutions workshop discussed on Sunday the challenges of traffic density on Riyadh roads.

He expected that the workshop would come out with recommendations to raise traffic safety and ensure the smooth flow of traffic on the roads.

“One of the most prominent axes of the workshop is building an operational model for highways, re-studying the mechanism of traffic lights, supporting the possibility of working remotely for some companies, institutions and government agencies.”

He added, “In addition to changing the timing of some schools and universities, and taking many other possible solutions.”

The capital city witnesses 16 million trips daily in its roads, according to recent official statistics.

Over 89 percent of the trips is being conducted by private cars while public transportation only represent 2 percent of the daily trips.

More than 7.5 million people live in Riyadh today and this number increasing yearly as the government aims to double the population of the city to nearly 15 million by 2030.