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Will “Riyadh Buses” succeed in diversifying the means of transport in the Saudi capital?
Despite the size of the “King Abdulaziz Public Transport Project” in the Saudi capital Riyadh and its inherent connection to a number of aspects, such as the development of the public transport sector, increasing the level of transport quality in Saudi Arabia and improving the quality of life and the Purifying the air, it is no secret that the city’s residents and visitors do not hide their desires… That this project fundamentally contributes to solving or alleviating the problem of traffic congestion that has become part of their daily life; Especially during peak hours in the morning and evening.
According to a study published by the Institute of Public Administration in November last year on the platform A study published by King Saud University also warned of the negative impact of traffic congestion in the country’s major cities on workers from a psychological and health perspective, especially on the feeling of psychological and nervous pressure, as well as on a person’s mood and general health, especially since it occurs frequently on a daily basis. The study showed that traffic congestion not only causes wasted time but also negatively impacts employee productivity. This is due to the pressure he faces when coming to work and she confirmed that drivers waste more than 42 hours in traffic jams every year.
Map of the “Riyadh Bus” network (Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh)
90 percent of journeys within the city are currently made by private car
In the city, which until recently suffered from public transport being limited to about 100 very old buses, owned and operated by a few private individuals, operating on a limited number of routes and covering a limited area of the city, Additionally In addition to the public transport company’s modest public transport service, it consists of 24 buses. A recent study by Dr. Muhammad Al-Muqri revealed that by the year 1441 AD, the number of daily trips in the city of Riyadh reached about 10 million daily trips, covering a distance of 100 million km at an average speed of about 45 km per hour, and These trips are distributed among the means of transport operating in the city according to the following percentages: private cars 89 percent, public transport buses 2 percent, taxis 3 percent and group transport such as employer, school transport and others 6 percent.
This was confirmed by Prince Faisal bin Ayyaf, mayor of the Riyadh region, who pointed out in a television interview last February that more than 90 percent of trips within the city are currently made by private cars and the remaining percentage by shared transport.
A large part of the project is completed with the launch of the mainnet
With the announcement of the Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh on Tuesday last week to complete the main network of “Riyadh Buses”, a large part of the King Abdulaziz Public Transport Project has been completed in the city of Riyadh, within an integrated network of trains and buses, works to meet the current transportation needs and future of the city, contributing to the development of the economic structure and improving the competitiveness of the city of Riyadh in various areas, consolidating its position as a high-quality economic and tourist destination. The “Riyadh Buses” project aims to operate an advanced public transport network using the latest technologies. The main bus network now consists of 54 routes, served by 679 buses and 2,145 stations and stops.
An expected integration between “buses” and “trains”
The “Riyadh Bus” network is expected to work in integration with the Riyadh Train to serve the city’s residents and visitors through a group of routes covering the city’s main roads and many secondary roads, connecting areas of the capital. to provide quality public transport services with its commercial centers. The network will also play a crucial role in reducing car traffic within Riyadh, thereby reducing pollution and energy consumption. The bus network is expected to become the main mode of transport in residential areas due to its capacity of more than 50,000 passengers.
“Riyadh buses” use low-sulfur fuel, making them one of the most environmentally friendly vehicles in the country and allowing them to make an important contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and improving air quality. According to statistics from the General Authority for Statistics, the volume of gasoline and diesel consumption in the transportation sector in… various regions of Saudi Arabia, which reaches more than 800,000 barrels per day and accounts for about 23 percent of the total daily oil consumption.
Feeder routes and buses for the “Riyadh Train”
The announcement of the “Main Network” does not mean the completion of “Riyadh Buses”, but rather there will be future additions, including the addition of 33 feeder routes for the “Riyadh Train”, more than 150 buses and the presence of train stations and stops, thereby the total number increases to more than 2,900 stations and points. Passenger traffic will be suspended and the number of buses will be more than 800 buses serving a distance of 1,900 km, as well as 6 lines for the “Riyadh Train” and 84 train stations spread across the capital’s districts, serving as an important means of transportation for passengers throughout the city.
In addition to counting on the addition of a major transportation option, many residents of the Saudi capital are betting that the King Abdulaziz Public Transport Project, particularly “Riyadh Buses,” whose main network has been completed, will help reduce congestion, especially since more than 90 percent According to Prince Faisal bin Ayyaf, Mayor of Riyadh Region, travel within the city is currently done by car, private car, and the remaining percentage is done by shared transport.
As Asharq Al-Awsat learned, from the beginning of the first phase to date, the number of users of “Riyadh Buses” has reached more than 11 million passengers, but the daily bus usage rate fluctuates between weekdays and weekends, exceeding 50,000 passengers per day and the number is increasing.
Part of one of the stations of the “designated route” for “Riyadh Buses” (Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh)
Mixed reactions
On the ground, Asharq Al-Awsat observed a series of reactions from regular users of “Riyadh buses” during a visit to several bus stations whose road surfaces were colored red in the so-called “dedicated route.” This represents the first level of the bus network. With a bus length of 18 meters and a number of 103 stations, it is intended to reduce traffic congestion thanks to its high carrying capacity, accuracy, speed, safety and flexibility.
Saud bin Nader, a Saudi software engineer, confirmed that he still uses buses very rarely and expects it to increase in the coming days. He attributed the reason for his lack of use to his feeling that this experience, new in Saudi Arabia, has not yet become widespread enough and the use of the car is not yet sufficient for him. It still offers features that buses don’t. Saud further explains that the average time it takes him to travel back and forth from home to his workplace has become noticeably shorter by using the “Riyadh buses”.
Type 1 buses (Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh)
Sultan bin Saleh agrees with him, but confirmed that he has noticed a trend of using “buses” from time to time, especially during rush hours, which he said range from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. He added that one of the most important features for him is that when traveling he will not only have to use his car or taxi, but also use a new mode of transport, expressing his hope for the early launch of the “Riyadh Train”. will be a new experience for him and some of his colleagues, not only for transportation but also for the quality of life he lives in Riyadh.
Type 2 buses (Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh)
While Sakhr Abu Al-Qasim, an accountant of a company, said that he has been using “Riyadh buses” since the first phase began, and although he enjoyed the experience, especially since it does not pose a financial burden, but rather helps in the issue of “saving of transport costs by private car or taxi” he still doesn’t do it. He is now learning the bus system and timetables and adds that he notices that each bus for him arrives later than the one before it, which increases the time required to travel from his home to his work, similar to when he has a car or a bus Bus used.
Type III buses (Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh)
Asharq Al-Awsat oversaw the elegant and modern design of the buses as well as many other services such as: Such as the availability of air conditioning and spaciousness to accommodate different categories of passengers, with the possibility of boarding the bus with wheelchairs, and the buses are equipped with Internet service and a smart ticket system. . The “Riyadh Buses” fleet was manufactured by the famous companies “Mercedes” and “MAN” in three types: 421 “Mercedes” buses of the “Citaro G” model, 179 “Mercedes” buses of the “Citaro” model and 242 “MAN” buses. “Lion’s City” model.
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