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A waste container stands in the middle of a road in Riyadh, posing a danger to motorists.

Motorists in the capital have complained that dumpsters left in the middle of major thoroughfares in the city are posing a danger to life and limb.

“These garbage bins or containers are found particularly in crowded areas such as Batha and are dangerous,” said Mohamed Hasan, a Sudanese who works for a medical firm.

He said these containers are also found where he lives in the Wazarat (Hara) area, one of the most crowded districts in the capital.

“The companies that have contracts with the municipality to collect garbage should regularly remind their staff to put the containers in their proper places to ensure they don’t block traffic,” he said.

Meynard Pesig, a Filipino engineer, said that drivers seeking parking spots at night could be pushing the garbage containers into the middle of the road. He lives in the Malaz area.

“The garbage containers have wheels. So people looking for a parking spot push them,” said Pesig, who works for a local firm.

The containers have also been found in the middle of roads in the Ghubaira district. They could result in car accidents, said Nadia Yasin, a housewife.

In a random survey conducted by Arab News on Thursday, it was found that garbage containers blocked traffic in a street near Thakasussi Road and in the Malaz district.

“Garbage collectors could help ensure safe roads for motorists if they do their jobs properly,” she said.

Earlier this week, Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Naif launched an awareness program about the importance of traffic rules.

“This campaign, with the participation of the public and private sectors, aims to reduce human and economic losses caused by accidents,” he said.

Road crashes in the Kingdom fell by 10 percent over the first six months of 2014 compared to the same period last year, according to official statistics.

Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, who released the data a few days ago, said the number of people injured in car accidents fell by 4 percent while deaths declined by 3.5 percent during the same period.

The Kingdom loses SR87.18 billion annually because of road accidents based on a study that included 1,100 people involved in accidents and 872 injured participants, according to Essam bin Hassan Kawther of King Abdulaziz University.

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