JEDDAH – Makkah Emir Prince Khaled Al-Faisal said the Cabinet's approval of the draft public transport plan for the Jeddah region would be instrumental in further spurring the development of the region and easing traffic congestion in the city. “The Kingdom is currently witnessing an unprecedented development boom with the implementation of several mega projects across the Kingdom. The public transport plan attains greater significance in the wake of the massive development projects being implemented in Makkah province in accordance with a 10-year strategic plan,” he said. Prince Khaled thanked King Abdullah for his great care and concern for the development of Makkah province, including Jeddah region. He noted that the ministerial committee for public transport in Makkah province had presented the final draft of feasibility studies and designing phase for public transport in Jeddah to King Abdullah last month. The plan includes a light train network over a distance of 67 km from Makkah Road to Obhur via central Jeddah. The three-line network will have 22 stations. A 24-km line will link King Abdulaziz International Airport to Haramain Railway Station at Sulaimaniya district in the Old Airport area. The line will have 17 stations. Another 17-km line with seven stations will link the Haramain station with Corniche via Palestine Road. The city will benefit from 56 km of the Haramain Railway that link Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah. The public transport system also includes a network of 816 buses plying over a total length of 750 km. There will be 2950 bus stations. A sea transport network with 10 stations will be built along the Corniche with the aim of boosting tourism and entertainment. The government will meet the whole cost of implementation, maintenance and operation of these projects. – SG/SPA
