Public transport projects gather pace

Monday, Apr 11, 2011

Gulf News

Dubai: The total investment in the public transport system in the Middle East is expected to be approximately $80 billion (Dh293.6 billion) over the next ten years, according to the top official of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Given the rate at which the public transport system is being developed across the Middle East countries, the investment in the system wont be less than $80 billion in the next 10 years, said Mattar Al Tayer, chairman and executive director of the RTA.

He was speaking at the start of the 59th UITP (International Association of Public Transport) World Congress and Mobility and City Transport Exhibition in Dubai.

The four-day international transport event was inaugurated by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Al Tayer pointed out that there is a massive scale of investment being planned by various countries in the region and the first phase of the UAE federal rail network will be ready this June, attracting investment worth Dh40 billion.

Pace of development

Qatar has also already invested $60 billion in the public transport system, while Oman and Saudi Arabia are in the process of investing billions of dollars in developing their public transport systems. In Saudi [Arabia], some projects are already completed and some are under construction, he said.

Echoing a similar view, Hans Rat, UITP Secretary General, said: Dubai took the lead in developing a strong public transport system and other Middle East countries are encouraged by the speed at which Dubai is continuing to develop it further.

He added that Abu Dhabi, Makkah, Damascus, Qatar, Riyadh, Amman, Morocco, Algeria, Iran and Cairo are all developing rail and transport systems.

Integrated network

Further outlining an ambitious plan, Al Tayer said Dubai aims to increase its public transport market share from 8 per cent in 2010 to as much as 30 per cent in 2020.

Dubai increased its users by 90 per cent over five years, increasing the number of passengers using public transport from 163 million in 2005 to 309 million in 2010.

The future projects include an integrated rail network of around 300km of additional rail lines, according to Al Tayer, in addition to a comprehensive bus line and service improvement plans and a marine passenger transport plan.

These plans will help us achieve our challenging public transport mode share target, Al Tayer said.

On a global scale, meanwhile, the aim is to double the public transport market share worldwide by 2025, said Alan Flausch, UITP President.

By Shweta Jain, Senior Reporter