KPTC working on changing ‘public transport’ network
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KUWAIT CITY, Jan 21: The CEO of the Kuwait Public Transport Company (KPTC) Eng. Mansour Al-Sa’ad announced a comprehensive change in the public transport network system through a new strategy, reports Al-Anba daily. During a recent visual presentation by KPTC at the Municipal Council about its future strategic plans, in the presence of a number of Municipal Council members, Eng. Al-Sa’ad highlighted the expansion of the network to link all areas of Kuwait, indicating that there will be a different system within a period of five years. He explained that an electronic application for the transportation network will be released soon. It displays accurate details about transportation in terms of routes and the bus schedule in a live and direct manner. It also has a service for booking tickets among others.
The current routes are not practical and take a long time. Currently, there are only 25 routes but 20 new routes will be added. The new system called “Feeder” will serve residential areas. Regarding the possibility of including the metro within the future strategy, Eng. Al-Sa’ad said the company has been working in the field of transportation since 1962, but it was not assigned the metro or train project and was not placed within its jurisdiction. He affirmed the company’s ability to manage such projects in the event that it was assigned to follow up its implementation. Regarding the target groups, he said, “The company has prepared statistics for all groups that use transportation in Kuwait and for each area separately. Citizens have a convenient alternative to using public transportation, but in the future, it will be realized that public transportation is more rapid.”
Eng. Al-Saad highlighted the most prominent projects that it includes, including the Truck City project, BRT routes for public transport buses, and the smart mass transit system, in addition to the launch of special routes for electric buses. Meanwhile, Head of the Municipal Council Abdullah Al-Mahry stated that, in light of the presence of buses within the areas, a solution to the problem of traffic congestion must be found. He also stressed the need to set up an ambitious and long-term plan, especially in the Capital Governorate and the other governorates. Al-Mahry presented his request for the company to develop an implementation plan to be submitted to the Municipal Council in the coming days, taking into account the residential structure. He indicated that there is no transport in Kuwait dedicated for tourism, due to which it is necessary to communicate and coordinate with the structural plan department in Kuwait Municipality to discuss the matter
. Al-Mahry insisted on the need to provide sites as bus stops in various governorates. He highlighted the need for the company to continue employing national cadres to work with the approximately 200 Kuwaiti employees currently in the company. Al-Mahry said the company requested to be invited to the meetings of the specialized committees of the Council. In addition, a member of the Municipal Council Eng. Hassan Kamal stressed the importance of public transportation in Kuwait of both types – sea and land. He said the visual presentation made by the KPTC officials illustrates the company’s ambitious strategy and plans to develop public transport in Kuwait.
Eng. Kamal affirmed that the performance in the past was not at the level of ambition. In a press statement, Eng. Kamal explained that the company’s plan calls for optimism, especially with traffic congestion, urban expansion and population density. Part of the traffic problem is public transportation. The solution is to not only open new routes for public transportation, but also encourage people to travel through them. The company’s strategy requires a clear time plan and budget. The personnel in the company have a vision not only of transportation, but also of school buses, sea transport, sea buses, and transport on the Jaber Bridge, especially as it is a state-owned company that provides services at nominal prices, and that the municipality supports its plans.
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