Study on Kuwait metro project Phase 1 ongoing
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PART facing several obstacles
KUWAIT CITY, Sept 18: Public Authority for Roads & Transportation (PART) has affirmed that coordination with Ministry of Finance is ongoing to list the costs for studying, designing and executing the first phase of metro rail project, reports Aljarida daily.
It indicated that the authority is facing several obstacles such as receiving multiple reports from several government agencies that claim the metro project clashes with their current and future projects. In response to a parliamentary question recently submitted by MP Abdulwahab Al- Babtain, PART said it is currently coordinating with agencies whose services are based on the course of the metro project, especially Kuwait Municipality for reviewing and specifying the final train course in case the current course is amended.
It indicated that the consultants are due to meet with the PART’s representatives to study, design and update the traffic study, which also includes movement of people and goods, environmental studies, and resolution of major obstacles in the path of the course.
“All that is needed is a preliminary design before finding lasting solutions for those obstacles, such as electricity and its lines, oil fields, etc,” the authority clarified. It also affirmed it has resorted to alternative options for presenting the project, taking into consideration its nature, importance and duration for its execution, and total cost.
It has recommended its execution through the “design – construction” system, and is currently coordinating with the oversight bodies to finalize the issue. PART explained that the feasibility study of the metro project has been prepared through a consultation firms in agreement with Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects in order to present the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The authority issued a decision No. 58/2017 to form a committee for completing and updating the earlier mentioned study. It said, “That committee presented some observations on the feasible study of the project, such as the course of the metro train, which as per the study faces many challenges. Based on this, several government bodies objected to it, not taking into consideration the linkage of ports and new residential areas and other observations. The feasibility study was hence not endorsed”.
Ministry of Communications, under which the project was registered prior to the establishment of PART, had recommended not to present this project through the PPP due to its service nature, high costs, and risks that would emerge in the implementation of the project.
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