Investigating the New Public Transportation System in Riyadh City

The public transport system is vital in any country and gives an idea of how well cities are organized. Recently, Saudi Arabia has turned its attention toward developing a new public transport system, as issues such as low mobility, traffic congestion, and environmental pollution have arisen. In Riyadh City (Saudi Arabia) in 2012, an effort was made to decrease the reliance on private cars by developing travel demand management strategies and a public transport system. This study aims to determine the new public transport system’s impact on the economy, environment, and social practices. Qualitative semistructured interviews have been taken with Riyadh City public transport officers. Then, NVivo was used for data analysis. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a thematic approach. The findings of this study showed that the new public transport system would have significant environmental, social, and economic benefits, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduced traffic accidents, and economic opportunities. The Riyadh transportation system would promote flexibility, reduce driving time, and provide more job opportunities, significantly impacting the city’s social and economic aspects. Barriers that are associated with the utilization of public transport include social norms and culture, higher reliance on private vehicles, and low fuel prices. This study’s findings demonstrated that public transport would motivate people to use public transport. Strategies such as cleanliness, safety, strict gender segregation, and comfortable seats would encourage people to use public transport. Overall, introducing a new transport system would significantly change traffic congestion and positively influence the lives of citizens by reducing the time wasted in traffic and improving air quality.

During the last few decades, Saudi Arabia, particularly Riyadh City, has witnessed a significant increase in motorization and urban development, which causes traffic congestion. This huge dependence on vehicles has undoubtedly brought about vehicle proprietorship, congestion, and pollution. Many researchers highlight the rapid increase in private vehicle possession, dangers to the human environment, and traffic safety. Therefore, the author conducted this study to determine the impact of the new public transport system on environmental, social, and economic aspects and the barriers and relevant measures to promote public transport use among Riyadh City residents. Qualitative semistructured interviews have been conducted with Riyadh City public transport officers. The main findings of this study are that the new public transport system would have significant environmental, social, and economic benefits, such as reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and traffic accidents, and economic opportunities. The major barrier to promoting public transport in Riyadh is changing people’s attitude toward using public transport instead of private vehicles. This study could help the government and other authoritative departments to plan an effective public transport system for Riyadh and related interventions to improve urban quality of life and mobility.