SYSTEM IN SAUDI ARABIA
1.0 Introduction
The economic performance of any country is highly pegged on the country’s transportation system. This is because for people to engage in various economically productive activities they must have the opportunity to move from one place to another in a less costly and convenient manner. This therefore requires a very effective transport system. In this paper, the researcher looks into various challenges facing the Saudi Arabia metro transportation system and proposes possible solutions to the problems. The paper begins by examining public transport in general and how it has developed over time. This is then followed by an assessment of the challenges facing the building and operating of a transportation system in Saudi Arabia. The researcher then proposes possible strategies that could be applied in order to solve these challenges; followed by a recommendation on the most effective and practical strategies to be applied in dealing with these challenges. A conclusion is then made based on what has been assessed.
2.0 History of Public Transport
2.1 Inventions of the Concept 'Public Transportation'
Public transport is a phrase used to describe any form of transport available to the public and which is run on fixed routes, charging set amounts of fare to members of the public. In this form of transport, a member of the public pays a certain sum of money to be taken from one geographical location to another. The fee charged can be fixed or can be variable depending on the mode of transport at hand. Forms of transport available to the public include ferries, buses, trains and subways. There was need for the development of public transport because people needed means with which they could move their goods from one place to another seeking for the market among other trading opportunities.
2.2 The Development of the Transport System
The development of the transport system has undergone various processes as discussed below:
2.2.1 The Development of the Subway Transportation System and the First Launch.
The first subway transport system was the London Underground which was launched on January 9th, 1863. Following this launch, many cities in Europe followed suit and developed their subway transport systems, some of which were located in the underground tunnels while others on elevated viaducts above the street. This technology then spread to the United States and more recently to the Asian continent where they are run automatically without a driver. Initially these systems used steam-powered units of carriage but this was then replaced with electric power (Francis and Ganley, 2006).
2.2.2 The Development of Bus Transportation System and the First Launch.
The first public transport service within a city was the omnibus which was operated in Paris, France in 1662. Unfortunately, it collapsed as a result of the founder’s death. This service was then introduced in Nantes France in 1826 and later in London in the year 1829, July. After these initial developments, the bus transportation system developed in other cities in a bid to address the transport needs of the people.
2.2 The Possible Effects of the Public Transportation.
2.2.1 Economic Costs and Benefits of Transportation
It is worth noting that the cost of constructing and maintaining an effective transportation system is quite high. This is the reason why some countries have net been able to develop an effective public transport system to date. It should however be noted that once a good transport system has been established, the benefits would in long run outweigh the costs (Edwards, 1996). This is because the costs incurred in transporting goods from one place to another would be reduced as a result of the effectiveness of the system. This would increase the profitability of businesses in the country thus accelerating the latter’s economic growth and development.
2.2.2 Environmental Costs and Benefits of Public Transportation.
The development of transport systems powered by electricity has played a very huge role in reducing the environmental cost associated with the transporting of goods and people from one another. This is because environmental pollution that results from emission of greenhouse gases is eliminated. However, environmental costs associated with transport include the destruction of forests and other natural habitats in order to expand transport networks.
3.0 Challenges of Building and Operating a Public Transportation System in Saudi Arabia
3.1 Challenges of Building the Transportation System
Building a transporting is a capital intensive venture requiring a huge capital outlay. This is because the equipment required is very expensive. Moreover, the labor force required in this project is quite expensive because the skills needed in this venture must be very advanced. This has posed great challenges to Saudi Arabia because it has not been able to secure adequate financing for the project partly due to the fact that the public transport sector is not financially attractive to private investors.
3.2 Challenges of Operating the System
The country has had a problem not only at the initially building stage of the transport system but also at the operating stage. Some of these challenges include a low load and therefore lower revenues for public transport services because of the low population densities for Saudi Arabia. Moreover, operating a public transport system in Saudi Arabia is also quite challenging because of the failure of the planning agencies to incorporate physical requirements of public transport in the initial planning of the manner in which land was to be used in the country. Consequently, constructing and operating the transport system has been challenging.
4.0 Possible Solutions to These Challenges
4.1 Overcoming the Financing Challenge
In order to overcome this challenge, the government could offer an initial subsidy to public transport operators. This would meet some of their costs thus enabling them charge lower prices for their services and still make profit. This would play a very crucial in encouraging more people to invest in this sector thus promoting it (Joharji, 2010).
4.2 Overcoming Operational Challenges
One of the operational challenges facing the public transport sector in Saudi Arabia is the low demand of this service as many of the country’s citizens prefer to use personal automobiles especially given the fact that transport costs are very low. In order to handle this problem, the government could encourage people to embrace the public transport culture (Divall and Bon, 2003). This could be done through advertising in various media as well as using community awareness campaigns aimed at informing people on the benefits of using public transport. This would reduce the number of people using private automobiles thus reducing congestion and accidents in the country’s urban centers.
The country’s public transport service providers could also embrace technology to improve the quality of service delivered to their clients. The use of technology would also play a significant role in improving the safety of the staff as well as customers of the public transport operator. This technology could include electronic ticketing systems, next-stop display and announcements and vehicle health monitoring among others. The use of this technology would by far encourage people to use public transport as it would be offering high quality services with a high level of safety.
5.0 Recommendations to Evaluate the Most Practical and Effective Solutions
5.1 The Most Practical and Effective Solutions for Building the Transportation System
As can be learnt from the UAE, Saudi Arabia could build an effective public transport system by having the land-use plans and transport plans integrated. This would ensure that the transport system developed does not pose any challenges to the existing ways through which land is being used in the country. This has been effectively done by the Road and Transport Authority in UAE (Kaiser, 2010). This would create harmony in the manner in which land is used in the country both for transport as well as other purpose.
5.2 The Most Practical and Effective Solutions for Operating the Transportation System
The country could improve the operation of its public transport service by first creating public transport awareness among people as well as by educating them on the benefits associated with public transport as opposed to the use of personal automobiles (Al-Qathanin, 2012). This is one of the factors that have contributed greatly to the improved performance of the public transport system in UAE. This is because Dubai residents have been taken through intensive public transport awareness campaigns and educational programs. Saudi Arabia could also adopt this strategy.
6.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, building and operating an effective public transport system is indeed a challenging task. The challenges may be associated with the economic as well as environmental costs. While it is true that an effective public transport system brings forth economic and environmental benefits; it is very important for the challenges to be addressed in order to bring forth effective performance of the system. Effective planning coupled with public awareness of the importance of public transport would significantly solve some of these problems.
References:
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Divall, C. & Bon, W., (2003) Suburbanizing the Masses: Public Transport and Urban Development in
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