Skip to main content

Royal HaskoningDHV scoops public transport project

A joint venture comprising Dutch consultancy and engineering company Royal HaskoningDHV and Saudi Arabian Mshari Al-Shathri engineering consultant has been appointed by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Transport to prepare a feasibility study and preliminary design for a first public transport system for Dammam. The objective of the system is to alleviate congestion in the area, which has seen significant growth in recent years. Increasing use of private cars has led to congestion and at current growth rates,
July 26, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A joint venture comprising Dutch consultancy and engineering company 6132 Royal HaskoningDHV and Saudi Arabian Mshari Al-Shathri engineering consultant has been appointed by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Transport to prepare a feasibility study and preliminary design for a first public transport system for Dammam.

The objective of the system is to alleviate congestion in the area, which has seen significant growth in recent years.  Increasing use of private cars has led to congestion and at current growth rates, experts are forecasting gridlock across the Dammam urban road network within a few years.
 
The project entails a feasibility study and preliminary design for a combination of 50 km of light rail, 110 km of bus rapid transit system and 350 km of feeder buses in Dammam Metropolitan Area, including King Fahd International Airport.  The approach will be multidisciplinary and include public transport planning, infrastructure design, urban integration, operation planning, business case preparation, and procurement strategy.

Undersecretary for Transport Affairs, Dr Abdul Aziz Al-Ohaly said: “In order to improve mobility and to alleviate urban congestion, reduce noise and air pollution we realise that we need to encourage people to use public transport.”

Nils den Hartog, project manager for Royal HaskoningDHV said: “Public transport is currently almost non-existent in this car-dominated city where petrol costs no more than 15 cents per litre. A key challenge of this project will be the successful introduction of such a system.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • ITS in the Baltic States: on the rise
    August 12, 2020
    In the Baltic states, on north-east Europe’s border with Russia, the ITS sector is on the verge of big growth, finds Eugene Gerden - but more
  • Siemens influences congestion reduction
    March 12, 2021
    When it comes to reducing congestion, even relatively small interventions can have significant and positive knock-on effects, suggests Steve O’Sullivan of Siemens Mobility
  • Taiwan to unveil four-year public transportation program
    October 16, 2012
    Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is to present a four-year public transportation program to the Taiwanese Cabinet. Over the next four years, the US$683.76 million programme will purchase more than 3,000 buses, including hybrid buses and electric buses, to replace the existing buses in Taiwanese cities. Low-floor buses will account for 30% of the total buses to be used in city area in 2016. The number of low-floor buses in metropolitan areas will increase by 2% a year, under the
  • Green MEP calls for action on air pollution as public transport costs rise
    May 4, 2017
    A UK Green MEP has attacked the failure of consecutive UK governments to take action on air pollution, while public transport costs continue to rise. Keith Taylor, Green MEP for the South East, says new government figures released in response to a written question by Caroline Lucas MP, show the cost of motoring, including purchasing a vehicle, has fallen by 20 per cent since 1980, while rail fares have risen by 63 per cent and bus and coach fares are up by 64 per cent. According to a report by the Royal Col