Khaberni - In the heart of the desert stretches a lifeline that never rests, a long road that never sleeps, witnessing the passage of caravans, trucks, and travelers around the clock, linking the capital with the smiling port of Jordan and opening the country's economic window to the sea. It is the Desert Line, one of the most vital roads in the kingdom, the most congested and traversed, and yet, it still lacks the simplest safety essentials: light.
It is unacceptable for a road of such importance to remain shrouded in darkness, in a country where the sun shines all year round and solar energy is considered an inexhaustible divine gift. It is no longer acceptable to use the cost of operation, maintenance promises, or budget fluctuations as excuses. We are talking about technology that is within reach, energy that does not require bills, and lighting that can be implemented within weeks, not years.
The discussion of lighting this road should not be relegated to the category of luxury or urban beautification. It is more than that. It is an urgent human and traffic necessity. How many lives have been lost in its darkness? How many families have been devastated? How many trucks have overturned? The poor visibility on this road presents an imminent danger to everyone who passes by, and there is no justification for delaying its treatment.
What is more painful is that this neglect continues, as if the road means nothing to anyone, or as if the lives lost on it do not deserve to be counted. We have the sun, the technology, and the pressing need, but we lack the decision. And is it reasonable for citizens' lives to hang in the balance until a government will that is absent ripens, or until project papers tucked away in drawers are completed?
The Desert Line is not asking for the impossible. It does not request smart cities on its sides, or suspended bridges. It simply asks to be lit, for drivers to see the road's face, for travelers to feel safe, for passersby not to be surprised by a darkness that kills them. It asks us to meet our responsibilities and rise to the simplest standards of maintenance and care.
Solar energy is not a distant dream, but a project that can be executed within a few months, without a permanent financial burden on the treasury, and without logistical complications. It is a practical and easy solution, but it seems that the light is still far because the darkness in some decisions is greater than the darkness on the road.
The Desert Line waits for the light... but clearly, before the light, it awaits a wake-up in conscience..
