JEDDAH: The population density in major Saudi cities has increased by more than 120 percent during the six years from 2002 to 2008, according to a recent study conducted by a private transport company.
The study said the Kingdom’s population density has surpassed its rate of population growth — which is among the highest in the world — by fivefold.
The yearlong study said Jeddah topped the Kingdom’s cities in population density, which is increasing annually by 20-28 percent. The population density in Makkah saw an annual increase of 20-25 percent followed by Riyadh with an increase of 18-20 percent.
The study’s supervisor Dr. Ali Hassan Nagoor, chairman of the Land Transport Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said a delay in finding a solution has aggravated the problem.
He cited the girl students’ transport project, which was introduced in some parts of the Kingdom over the last two years, adding that this was a step toward resolving the problem. “Once this project is introduced all over the Kingdom, it would reduce overcrowding in Saudi cities where the streets are overflowing with people especially at peak hours,” he said.
Al-Nagoor warned against partial solutions and called for a comprehensive plan to resolve the problem once and for all. He called for the launching of an awareness campaign to convince people not to own more than one vehicle and said public transport must be expanded in big cities such as Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah and Riyadh.
He said transport companies have enough expertise to resolve this problem which is aggravating year after year and added that Haj transport companies have large fleets and sufficient experience which enable them to work smoothly during crowded seasons such as Haj and Umrah.
