Public transport to give Madinah massive facelift

Studies have been completed for the establishment of a new public transport system in Madinah to meet requirements of the city’s growing population and more than 10 million annual visitors.
“Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman has endorsed the public transport plan to present it to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his approval,” said Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar on Sunday.
He said the project reflected the government’s care for the millions of pilgrims who visit the holy city to pray at the Prophet’s Mosque, the second most sacred place for worship for Muslims all over the world.
The new transport system augurs well with the ongoing massive development projects such as the Prophet’s Mosque expansion, the Haramain Railway, the Madinah airport expansion and the new King Abdullah Pilgrims City.
Hajjar said the transport project reflected Prince Faisal’s farsightedness and his desire to meet the city’s future requirements. “Madinah currently receives more than 10 million visitors annually,” he pointed out.
Saudi Arabia has already announced plans to establish metros and public transport systems in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Dammam as part of efforts to ensure smooth traffic.
The new projects, according to experts, are estimated to cost over SR300 billion.