Just before the entrance of Airport Tunnel from Bur Dubai, there is a huge digital display that tells the state of traffic in the tunnel. Most of the time it says “Airport tunnel congested” or “Traffic Jam Ahead”, as the picture above proves it.
I find this pretty funny because the display warns about congestion just when you are entering the airport tunnel. It’s too late at this point to do anything about it. Most of the time the congestion lingers way beyond the tunnel entrance so the warning is not really needed as you can see it with your own eyes that you are in the middle of a traffic jam.
Perhaps if the warning was displayed a few miles before the airport tunnel, drivers could have done something to avoid airport tunnel altogether and take a different route.
But then again, no matter which route you take to go from Bur Dubai to Diera and Sharjah, you will always find congestion in the rush hours.
So a warning is not really needed at first place, be it late or early. Instead they should show latest Britney Spears video on the display, so the drivers can at least be entertained.
It’s the same problem with all warning signs in Dubai, they never give enough warning. Whether it’s modern electronic signs, painted roadsigns or just a man with a red flag they are never more than a metre or two before the hazared.
I think the purpose is to mentally prepare you
But seriously, when this whole project of information screens was announced, it was intended as something which will assist drivers warn about traffic jams & advice them about the alternative routes. But is it doing what it was intended to do? Probably not.