Gulf countries need to think about how best to integrate their planned public transport networks to ensure they attract passengers and reduce traffic congestion, says Sami Atiya, CEO of the mobility and logistics division at Germany’s Siemens.

With Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar investing billions of dollars in new metro and bus systems, Atiya says that in addition to building the infrastructure, operators will need to work out how best to interlink the networks.

“Many of us will travel by bike, bus, taxi, train, or walk to the office,” he tells MEED. “As the end-consumer we don’t think of individual modes of transport and that each one might be run by a different operator. So the challenge is to look at all this together and how it all can be integrated.”

Using technology

Technologies such as mobile phone applications, can be used to integrate transport networks. “For example, you could have an application that, once you wake in the morning, advises you on traffic conditions, whether it is better to take a tram or bike instead of the car,” says Atiya. “It will help you move faster.”

You could have an application that advises you whether to take a tram or bike instead of the car

Sami Atiya, Siemens

Providing ticketless systems can also make it easier for passengers to use public transport, he says. “The benefits of integration can only be fully realised by utilising a seamless ticketing system: one card that you can use to pay for taxis, use on buses or trams, and at the end of each day or month you have all your transport costs on one bill.”

Siemens’ mobility and logistics division is already highly active in the Gulf, providing technology that supports transport systems.

In Dubai, the firm’s Falcon traffic control management system has 69 monitoring cameras to detect accidents and control traffic lights on major roads. Siemens provides similar systems in Yas Island, Reem Island and Ras al-Akhdar in Abu Dhabi.

Siemens also won a $2.1bn deal last year to provide rolling stock to the new Riyadh Metro. Siemens is part of the BACS consortium, headed by US firm Bechtel, Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company and local firm Almabani.

The concept of public transport in the GCC is still relatively new, with the region traditionally highly dependent on cars.

Dubai is the only place that has a functional metro, which opened in 2009 and is expected to be expanded in the coming years.

Saudi Arabia has a strong pipeline of metro schemes, with $22.5bn-worth of construction contracts awarded last year on the Riyadh Metro. Jeddah, Dammam, Mecca and Medina are also planning metro and light rail systems. The Mecca metro project is currently at prequalification stage for the construction contracts, while Medina has issued a tender for the project management deal. 

Qatar awarded several multibillion-dollar contracts for Doha Metro last year, with more awards planned in 2014. 

Abu Dhabi is also planning a 131-kilometre network of metro, light rail and bus rapid transit systems.

Oman is presently in the very early stages of exploring metro or tram developments.

The lack of legacy transport infrastructure makes working in the region particularly appealing for companies such as Siemens, as the latest technology can be used immediately without having to make it compatible with pre-existing systems. 

“We consider the Middle East a greenfield opportunity,” says Atiya. “There is high demand for transport infrastructure and it gives us a chance to bring in our newest technology.”

In Riyadh the metro will use driverless technology, a solution that is unpopular in markets such as Europe, where the metros employ a large number of people. “It is easier to use driverless systems in a greenfield site,” says Atiya. “With a driverless system you can move trains or metros in and out of stations at a faster rate.”

Environmental impact

Ensuring transport systems work well together can also have a positive impact on the environment. “We have technology that can help trains reduce carbon dioxide emissions by calculating when you can reduce your speed,” says Atiya. “Such technology can reduce emissions by between 20 and 30 per cent.”

Due to the heavy reliance on cars in the region, some have been sceptical about the success of the planned metro, rail and tram projects. Dubai Metro has, however, proven some of its critics wrong, with annual passenger numbers consistently growing since it opened. According to the emirate’s Roads & Transport Authority, mass transit ridership has doubled from 6 per cent in 2006 to 12 per cent in 2012.

Using technology to ensure a smooth transition between different forms of transport is one way of further persuading people to reduce their car usage. “There will be a mind shift in the coming years,” says Atiya.

“There is much we can do in the Middle East; there is a big opportunity to change people’s habits and reduce traffic congestion, and if managed well it will improve quality of life in the region.”