Prince Khaled Al Faisal, emir of Mecca and president of the Mecca Development Authority, signed on Tuesday a contract worth SR3.2 billion for Mecca public transport system.
The contract, to carry out import, operation and maintenance of Mecca Public Transportation Program (MPTP) buses, was awarded to a consortium comprising the Saudi Nesma company and the Spanish transport company TCC.
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Speaking after the signing ceremony, Prince Khaled said that this agreement is groundbreaking for all the public transport projects in the Mecca region. He noted that the public transport system will be implemented as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
"The Kingdom is keen on giving opportunities for the private sector to implement the public transport projects," he said while urging the private sector to seize the opportunities to take part in the nation-building process.
Under the contract, the consortium will start operating the Mecca public transport system after 18 months. The contract includes supply, operation and maintenance of 400 buses for a period of 10 years. Of these, there will be 240 ordinary buses, each with a seating capacity of 40, and 160 articulated buses, each with a seating capacity of 60. These buses, featuring the best environmental protection standards and low rate of carbon emissions, would have fire extinguishing, air conditioning and temperature control systems.
The project is expected to provide more than 10,000 direct and indirect job opportunities, according to sources.
The first phase of the bus network will consist of 12 lines along a length of 300 km, of which seven lines will be for local ones, with a total of 83 stop stations, and the remaining five are fast lines with a length of 172 km and a total of 342 stop stations, using large and articulated buses.
The contract also includes construction of maintenance center with an area of 220,000 square meters, which includes the control and operation center for buses, workshops and warehouses required for regular maintenance work, offices for the staff and workers responsible for operation and maintenance, shelter for the bus fleet, and private accommodation for drivers.
The project aims to provide public transportation service for all segments of the society, and to diversify the roads and routes of the city in an efficient and civilized manner, in line with the social, economic, environmental and traffic conditions, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
