KUWAIT: Early this morning, Kuwait’s streets were heavily congested, as anticipated with the return of around 5,000 students heading back to private Arabic and government schools. Parents, well aware of this recurring issue, have been spotted arriving early at schools to drop off their children, hoping to reach their offices on time afterward. Some residents in Kuwait view this situation as a hopeless case. Hany Hafez, an expat working at the Ministry of Health, said, “I’ve been in Kuwait for 30 years, and have witnessed this problem happening every year without being resolved.”

He particularly pointed to the peak hours of the day, which are from 6:30 am to around 8 am, and from 1 pm to 3 pm when the roads are completely blocked. However, some residents have acknowledged the efforts of the Ministry of Interior. Ahmad Sami, a parent dropping off his children at school, said, “I’ve noticed a significant improvement in traffic management this year.” Another parent with a child enrolled in an Arabic school, like Safaa, observed police vehicles blocking U-turns during peak hours to ease congestion and enhance traffic flow.

Using busses instead

One of the main reasons behind the traffic problem, according to Salma Othman, a student counselor at one of the Arabic schools, is that “everyone seems to be trying to get out at the same time,” referring to parents and employees rushing to reach the schools and their workplaces at the same time. At the school where she works, Othman, who is also a mother of school children, mentioned that the elementary phase alone has around 1,000 students, most of whom are dropped off in their parents’ private cars.

Dr Ibrahim Dashti, political analyst and former MP candidate, believes that “decision-makers in Kuwait lack comprehensive strategies for addressing traffic problems.” He said that the temporary solutions, such as using safety lanes during heavy traffic, are no longer sufficient. Instead, he highlighted the need for core changes, including improved public transportation options like trains, subways, and buses. He also points out that many countries, such as Turkey, use buses that can accommodate up to 30 students. “Using such buses can reduce the number of cars on the road. Investing in these buses, which should be equipped with cameras and GPS for tracking, is worth it,” he said. Tackling the issue from this perspective, as he believes, is far more cost-effective than the current piecemeal approaches involving fixing roads and building bridges.

Staggering school and work hours

While the school counselor agreed that using the school bus could help reduce traffic congestion, she noted that many families who live nearby avoid spending extra on bus fees. On the other hand, Safaa said she avoids using the school bus because it takes too long to pick up children from different areas, often taking around an hour to reach the school. Hafez added that the traffic congestion is even worse in front of schools because many parents line up in “second, third, and fourth lanes to drop off their children”.

He suggested staggering school hours from work hours, for example, starting school an hour after the workday begins for employees in both the public and private sectors. Mahmoud, another expat added, “the problem has been around for years, so it’s hard to find a solution to it.” However, he suggested, “It would be better if they moved the schools to more open areas instead of having 10 or 15 schools packed into one small neighborhood,” referring to the congested area of Hawally.

Flexible hours system

Teachers also expressed concerns, having previously benefited from a flexible hours system that allowed them to leave half an hour early if they arrived half an hour earlier. Now, they are calling for the return of this system. “Currently, all teachers leave at the same time as the students. As teachers, we are asking for the return of flexible hours — we want to get home earlier,” said Shrouk, a teacher at a private school. Another teacher added, “The flexible hours system used to make it easier for us to arrive and leave the school, and it helped reduce the congestion.”

Regarding how most of the people cope with the problem, Mahmoud mentioned that leaving early from home is the best solution, which many parents also agree on. “I leave my house at 6:15 am, while my work starts at 8 am. First, I drop off my kids at school and, with great difficulty, manage to get out of the school area,” said another parent. Others, whose road trip usually takes 10 minutes or 30 minutes to reach their workplaces, said that during the academic season, the time doubles, which takes a long portion of their day.