It is at the crossing of Beirut and Mustafa Hafez Streets, used to be known as the junction of the Commission of the Detainees Affairs, where I started my professional journey as an engineer. I was a member of a team responsible for developing the traffic plan in 2008.
I was a fresh graduate at that time, and with a group of other colleagues, developed ideas for the Ministry of Traffic Police. The mission was to try to solve the heavy traffic problem surrounding the university area.
We conducted a traffic survey, monitored the site, identified rush hours, gathered data to measure the level of the problem. We developed our plans on paper and provided the suggested solutions which were adopted later.
One of the suggestions was banning buses from passing around the university area. That crossing used to be one of the bus stop stations, among others. We asked the officials at the traffic police department to implement the plan. We received their feedback. Up till the days before the war started, the university worked according to the plan.
Later, this was my thesis for my Master in traffic engineering. These are some of the memories which come back to my mind when I look at the photos of that place, today. At that junction, there sits now a huge tank which fires rockets at our memories and dreams.
Mohammed Al-Ukshiyya
23/09/2025
(Translated by Palestinian Stories)
