[sustran] Fw: [sustran] Buses in Saudi Arabia

[Harun al-Rasyid Sorah Lubis]

-----Original Message-----
From: Harun al-Rasyid Sorah Lubis <halubis at trans.si.itb.ac.id>
To: sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2000 9:01 AM
Subject: Re: [sustran] Buses in Saudi Arabia


>I just got back from Saudi, as part of hajj (pilgrim). The visit was my
>second since 1995.
>
>What is obvious to me is that Saudi is totally  under process of
>Americanized, in any walk of life.
>In Saudi, all cities are just car oriented cities.
>
>From my last hajj trip, as traffic and transport planner, I found out some
>points that  may be worth investigating for long term sustainability of
>SAUDI.
>
>First, if you want to validate your pedestrian model, MECCA is best test
>bed. Unfortunately, even Bill Clinton cannot enter the haram place, unless
>he embraces islam, first. With 5 million people moving  to reach a certain
>point and do a unique activity at almost the same time. I wonder, why, this
>comes to my second point, i.e.
>Why Saudi donot create or provide a rail circular line between Mecca and
>Arafah and Mina, which is stretching only 7 - 10 kms. Three to five hours
>one direction to reach such a very short place of destination is crazy,
>etiher by buses, minibuses or your luxurious cars.
>
>Banned all motorized around 500 -700 metres from the mosque al-haram Mecca,
>established the area as the pedestrian only area. Chocking all motorized
>with pedestrian, especially during the prayer time is a very unpleasant
>experience. Putting a pedestrianized  area will enable everybody breath a
>fresher air. I wonder what level of pollutant they have during that period
>of jamming and clog up.
>
>In any other cities within Saudi, some introduction of traffic restraint
>should be exercised in the medium term.
>
>Harun, ITB (bandung)
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Alan P Howes <alanhowes at usaksa.com>
>To: sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>;
>transit-prof at icc.nwark.com <transit-prof at icc.nwark.com>
>Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2000 1:41 AM
>Subject: [sustran] Buses in Saudi Arabia
>
>
>In case anyone is interested -
>
>On Sun, 07 May 2000 17:28:01 +1200, David  McLoughlin
><davemcl at iprolink.co.nz> wrote to me:
>
>>I take it Saudis don't use the buses? How bizarre. In India, the urban
>>middle classes use the buses -- the poor can't afford them, and must walk.
>
>V. few Saudis use urban buses - though the rural ones do use the
>long-distance ones. In fact, the poorest workers probably find our
>urban services expensive, at a flat fare of S.Riyals 2.00, vs. wages
>of SR 500 per month or even less for South Asian labour. Which is why
>I reckon we should reduce our fares. (The minibus competition also
>runs at SR 2 - but they run 110% full, we run at about 30% - and they
>could not afford to drop their fares.)
>
>Have to say I don't use the buses much here. The network is wrong, the
>service unreliable, the buses 20 years old, ...   Tomorrow, I am about
>to try once again to persuade our CEO that it is worth investing
>effort (leave aside money for now) in the Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam
>urban services. In Riyadh we recover 70% of marginal costs (including
>depreciation). I believe without too much effort we could improve that
>to 100%.
>
>>Are the buses where you are air-conditioned? The Indian urban ones are
not!
>Long distance, yes. About 50% of the urban fleet (Neoplan 414s) has
>A/C, but it is all retro-fitted, and is a maintenance problem. Hence
>the A/C buses tend to be saved for contracts, and pilgrim work in
>Makkah (Mecca), leaving main urban service to the non-A/C ones.
>
>[And some non-transport interest ...]
>
>>No. I would like to visit Saudi Arabia but I don't see it as a tourist
>>destination, I would do that as a jo-rn-li-t to observe the country and
>>write about it. Many New Zealanders such as nurses and engineers go there
>>for work, to earn the huge bucks, but that's all.
>
>And of course, jo-rn-li-ts are not particularly welcome here. Despite
>which, my abaya-ed (but unveiled) wife was strolling with her friends
>near the said souq yesterday when they were pounced on and interviewed
>by a guy from the BBC! Seems he was here to cover Saudi-British
>business, and thought he would do some local colour stuff on the side.
>I would like to know if and where it surfaces! The lady who did the
>talking had better be careful!
>
>Cheers, Alan.
>--
>GIVE ON-LINE FOR MOZAMBIQUE - http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/f_africa.htm
>
>Alan & Jacqui Howes, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Formerly Perthshire, Scotland)
>alanhowes at usaksa.com
>http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/alanhowes/  [Needs Updating!]
>
>PLEASE DO NOT SEND LARGE MESSAGES (>100kB) WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE
>
>
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