Why are sidewalks so disliked in Kuwait? As a person that likes to walk to places, especially since I live in a commercial area, I find it so frustrating that I can’t walk one street down my apartment building unless I’m willing to walk through garbage bins, a sandy lot, and on the street with cars racing by. But this isn’t new, it’s always been like this and nobody cares obviously or else sidewalks would have been an important part of the urban planning. What is new is the fact there was an important and heavily used sidewalk a couple of blocks down from where I live which recently got removed. The issue is that they didn’t provide the pedestrians with an alternative sidewalk and this has now created a pretty dangerous situation.
Right outside the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre (Map), there was a sidewalk that runs from the inside road, around the museums, and then connects to the Gulf Road. It was a heavily used sidewalk because it’s the only road that connects the densely populated neighborhood with the Gulf Road while also connecting Salmiya to Shaab. But, due to construction work taking place there, they temporarily (I hope it’s temporary) removed the sidewalk to make more room for the cars. And that’s fine, except for the fact they didn’t temporarily provide an alternative route for pedestrians. So pedestrians are continuing to take that route (to get home or get to the Gulf Road), but now instead of walking on the sidewalk, they’re forced to walk on the road with cars speeding by dangerously. At night the strip is also poorly lit making it even more dangerous.
I’ve seen families walking on the road, young teens, and employees heading to or from work. I wouldn’t be surprised if there haven’t already been multiple incidents where pedestrians were hit by cars on this strip. Hopefully, someone reading this post can help sort this problem or let me know who to even complain about something like this even though I doubt they would care.
17 replies on “Total Disregard to Pedestrians”
By the Alseef Hospital they changed the lay out so the traffic coming from salwa direction no longer as traffic lights making it particularly impossible to get across the second part of th pedestrian crossing situated there🤦♀️
A racist would say. Because walking it for peasant.
But for a fact. This isn’t a problem in Kuwaiti dominated areas. Maybe cause there is a responsible person elected in each area and funds are assigned accordingly.
Areas like Salmiya, Hawally, mahboula, Farwaniya etc are heavily dominated by expats. And are the cash cows to multiple industries like real estate, commercial, trade etc. so any changes needed to be made will adversely affect various parts. So they just let it be.
Example image they have to make a side walk in ibn khaldoun. It would be an impossible task and businesses and real estate would have pandemic 2.0 effects
It’s not any better in Kuwaiti neighborhoods. They don’t have sidewalks in most residential areas either and whatever sidewalks they do have usually has cars parked on it forcing you to walk on the road. But the difference is that walking is an option there, in commercial areas like mine, people have to walk to get to work or get home or go grocery shopping because it’s a low-income area and most people can’t afford transportation or even qualify for a driving license.
most of the kuwaiti areas i have been to have pavements and stuff. like qutuba, mishrief, jabriya, faiha, shamiya. but the residents around there try to keep their cars on the pavement and stuff, as you said, walking is optional there.
It would be funny if these are the same guys who arent making pavements in the expat areas because they dont really know whats the use of a pavement.
…there is no pavement, it’s roads we walk on, do you know London John?
mark please don’t complain. We don’t want you to get deported…..
😔
Agree
It seems that the regulation is there, but it is not applied. I’m currently finalizing my house project and wanted to clean up the area around my house and plant it. I got my license from the municipality which has strict rules. They drew out the area which I am allowed to plant or use for parking. It turns out I have to leave one meter (or maybe 1.5m I forgot) from the pavement which I am not allowed to use or plant. I followed my license and only put interlock tiles in that area rather than leave it just as sand. If all houses in my neighborhood followed the rules, we would get a nice sidewalk in all the streets.
I remember in the early 80’s most of the cars were parked inside houses in my street. We used to walk on the pavement and very rarely we needed to walk on the street.
Then it’s clear that its your generation that has ruined it for the current and future generations. Do something about it rather than talking about the “golden age”
lol he literally did do something, he said he followed the rules and built according to rules. he’s not responsible for the ppl that don’t follow the rules
Simply, nobody cares about pedestrians. One more fact is that Salmiya block 3 and 6 are closely related to beach side and yet there is not a single one pedestrian bridge. If anyone want to go seaside beach walk it is either risking life by running over Gulf road 3 lanes in eash side or take a taxi in a matter to just cross to the other side(not everyone has driving licence). As a mom of two todlers I am completely unable to take my kids to play on the beach hence I am not ready to risk their lives by running over the racing road. But who cares about that…
I don’t think they are even wanted here in Kuwait. I drive a lot by Bayan’s palace, and see people avoiding the 2/3 meter pavement, and walking on the street by the cars. I don’t get the logic behind it, but seems like the locals themselves don’t think it’s a smart or useful thing.
Probably because they need to constantly step off the pavement onto the road due to obstacles in their way or broken sidewalks.
by the way, there is a bus that drops the porters and the cleaners of that cultural center everyday in the morning at the main gate, and they walk all the way you have marked to the entrance by the side.
yes! no side walks, hot, sunny, humid, dangerous!! what else can we mention?
WHY CANT THEY BE DROPPED BY THE ENTRANCE THEY WILL ACCESS THROUGH?
if u dont like it go walk on the streets of you own country
Bavement is for barking my borche!