The Madina Development Commission (MDC) has said it is working on a new long-term development strategy that includes a train network to address the city's traffic congestion. Speaking just over three months on from its establishment, Secretary General Muhammad Al-Alli said the MDC was closely following a comprehensive planning project assigned to three international companies and which is eight months away from completion. “The project involves laying out a long-term strategy for the city's planning, addressing green areas, transport and traffic, the environment, housing, large-scale investment projects and the development of unplanned residential zones, and infrastructure and services,” Al-Alli said. Al-Alli declined to set a cost or give a date for when the train line from the Madina Knowledge City to the Prophet's Mosque and Prince Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz Airport would be operational, but said that the proposal is for a monorail system. “It and other transport plans in the project will help improve traffic flow and tackle the expected increase in traffic through train stations at designated places. The project will also see expansion to Prince Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz Airport,” he said. According to Al-Alli, a complete review of planning in the central zone has already been finished along with design plans for the first ring road. “It will streamline traffic and pedestrian thoroughfares and provide the services required by the zone and visitors to it,” he said. “The next phase will see a lot of works to improve and beautify the area.” The most urgent work, Al-Alli said, was to address oft-cited concerns with the planning of the central zone. “Very soon we will move on from the planning and study stage to tackling the existing problems in the zone, and I should point out at this juncture that the zone hosts millions of visitors of various nationalities and cultures during its peak times and which you can rarely find the like of in any other region, and which naturally requires special handling to meet all the comfort and safety needs of visitors,” he said. Al-Alli also said that the Emir of Madina Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Majed had ordered a reevaluation of properties removed in the Bab Al-Tamar area. “The Emir wants to ensure that the owners of removed property are treated fairly,” he said. “They did not receive the compensation set by previous committees, and the relevant authorities have been contacted to provide representatives for the reevaluation committee, and the committee will begin its work very soon.”
