Aleppo – Mohammed al-Omar
The streets of Aleppo are witnessing a state of traffic chaos and severe congestion, amid the absence of traffic police and the majority of drivers not adhering to traffic laws.
The influx of a large number of vehicles coming from Idlib and northern Aleppo has contributed to additional congestion, leading to widespread traffic crises.
Most of the accidents occurred on the main streets in the city center and its surroundings, and in areas with a high concentration of markets and shops, such as al-Furqan neighborhood, al-Jamiliyah, and Faisal Street, among others.
The congestion and chaos are causing many daily altercations, as traffic police have been absent from the city’s streets since it was liberated over three months ago, in November 2024.
According to Enab Baladi‘s monitoring, the new traffic police personnel have only spread in a limited number of areas, which seems insufficient for regulating traffic.
Public transport to avoid congestion
In these circumstances, Amer Boushi decided to give up using his private car and opted to rely on public transport. He told Enab Baladi that he lives in the al-Hamdaniyah neighborhood, which is relatively far from the city center, while working as an accountant in a shop in the al-Fayd area, known for its heavy traffic, especially during Ramadan.
Boushi explained that finding a parking space near his workplace has become nearly impossible, in addition to traffic in crowded streets becoming an unacceptable ordeal.
He mentioned that a route that used to take ten minutes to drive now takes about half an hour to traverse due to the congestion, chaos, and the complete disregard for traffic laws and regulations.
Absence of traffic laws
Abo Mahmoud, a taxi driver, complains about the chaos dominating the city’s streets, as the vast majority of drivers do not adhere to traffic laws or signals.
He noted that he encounters daily accidents in the city involving cars traveling the wrong way or teenagers driving cars without a license due to their age not meeting the legal requirements.
Abo Mahmoud pointed out that many streets, especially in markets, are subject to double parking, which increases the narrowing of the road in the absence of any legal deterrent for the owners.
The driver considered that the lack of adherence and chaos results in further traffic congestion, adding that the increased number of motorcycles has become an additional factor contributing to traffic disorder in Aleppo, noting that most motorcycles do not carry official plates.
Videos circulated on social media show thieves using unlicensed motorcycles in theft operations and escaping quickly, aggravating the security situation in Aleppo.
“The decision is in Damascus”
A source in the Aleppo Traffic Department told Enab Baladi that the reinstatement of traffic policemen who were in service before the collapse of the Assad regime requires a central decision from the Ministry of Interior. This decision needs to clarify how they will be reinstated and the criteria that will be followed regarding them.
The source added that the current number of traffic police is insufficient to cover the areas of Aleppo, and the existing capabilities of the department cannot meet the city’s requirements.
Recently, residents of Aleppo have increased their calls for a solution to the ongoing traffic crisis, for the redeployment of traffic police, and for strict enforcement of laws against violators. They also urge a ban on the circulation of unlicensed motorcycles in the streets of Aleppo, similar to the decision made in Damascus.