Faisal, Emir of Makkah, chaired a meeting Saturday in his office in Jeddah to study the flow of traffic, pedestrians and Umrah pilgrims in Makkah during Ramadan. There are long-term plans to handle the traffic problem in Makkah and the holy sites, said Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who stressed the importance of working out urgent solutions to facilitate the flow of vehicles and pedestrians to and from the Grand Mosque , especially during this Ramadan and Haj seasons. The Prince laid emphasis on the importance of unified efforts and effective communication among the relevant organizations to help improve the flow of traffic and pedestrians at the holy sites. The Emir of Makkah was briefed on the proposed plan for traffic operation and public transport in Makkah during Ramadan. The plan includes the use of five parking lots outside Makkah as the first station for receiving and grouping Umrah pilgrims and worshippers heading to the Grand Mosque. The plan, which is intended to reduce the number of privately owned vehicles on the road, also recommends the use of parking lots for residents of Makkah and organizing public transportation to and from the city with stops in a number of neighborhoods. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal also watched a presentation by the Ministry of Transportation regarding the use of Saudi Public Transportation Co. buses to transport Umrah pilgrims to and from areas surrounding the Grand Mosque , districts and parking lots located outside the Central Area. The plan devised by SAPTCO, which anticipates serving 4 million passengers during Ramadan, includes the use of 515 new buses and 30 new minibuses to address the growing demand for public transportation during the holy season.
