RIYADH, 5 December 2004 — The latest techniques in road safety management and improvements to transport infrastructure will be the subjects of the Saudi Traffic 2004 exhibition and conference, opening at the Hotel Intercontinental in Riyadh today.
Saudi Traffic 2004 includes a two-day exhibition and conference plus two days of workshops. Workshop topics include “Conducting Pro-active Road Safety Audits” and “Urban And Freeway Traffic Operation, Safety And Modeling.” Experts from Australia and the US will chair the workshop talks.
During the four-day event, international, regional and local experts will discuss the worsening transport crisis in Saudi Arabia and suggest solutions for reducing the number of deaths and injuries on the Kingdom’s roads. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of all the country’s hospital deaths are the result of traffic accidents.
“In Saudi Arabia, as in much of the Middle East, the issue of traffic congestion, safety and management is a key issue for governments,” said Davyd Farrell, Institute of International Research (IIR), Middle East. “Saudi Traffic 2004 is a forum for discussion and debate that will enable the Kingdom’s decision-makers to formulate policies and deal with this important subject.”
Improvements in Saudi Arabian road management are already under way. The Ministry of Transport recently awarded a contract to construct two turnkey truck-weighing stations on major highways. House of Measurement Trading, a fully-owned subsidiary of Yousif Al-Hamdan Trading Co., will build the weighing stations as part of the ministry’s drive to enforce the legal code for permissible truck weights.
In another development, the Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) has ordered an 18-month project to analyze traffic on the capital’s roads, with the aim of increasing efficiency and improving road safety.
The population of Riyadh is expected to exceed 10 million by 2020 and these numbers will have a significant impact on road infrastructure in terms of congestion, traffic accidents and pollution. Dornier Consulting of Germany, in association with Saudi-based Omrania & Associates, will make recommendations concerning how Riyadh’s roads can cope with the increase in the number of vehicles. “The predicted increase in population and number of cars on Saudi roads within the next 15 years, means now is the right time to address issues surrounding traffic management,” added Farrell.
Organized by IIR, Saudi Traffic 2004 is the latest addition to the Gulf Traffic series of events, which also includes Smart Move and MENA Rail. Local authorities including the Ministry of Interior, ADA and Jeddah Municipality have also offered their support to the event. Zuhair Fayez, Saudi Consolidated Contracting Co., Shibh Al-Jazira, Al-Haramain, House of Measurement, Etisal, Gulf Factory for Traffic Lights, Al-Bilad, Delmon and Reda National are among the Saudi companies which have confirmed their participation.
Lebanon’s ATT Group and Khatib & Alami will also be present, while international participants include Dornier (Germany), GEA and Electronique Controle Measure (France) and Wilbur Smith Assoc. (US).
