SAPTCO to buy 150 new buses by Q1 2012

Author: 
SARAH ABDULLAH | ARAB NEWS
Publication Date: 
Tue, 2011-04-05 01:44

The first installment of 50 buses is expected to be delivered in September 2011 with the second installment of an additional 50 buses to be delivered in October 2011 and the third and final delivery of the remaining 50 buses scheduled for delivery in March 2012.
The deal, according to the statement, is to develop and expand SAPTCO’s fleet to ensure added comfort to their passengers.
The agreement, according to company officials, is to be signed soon with additional details to follow.
The company currently operates a fleet of 3,000 vehicles carrying out 600-1,000 trips daily and connecting 382 cities, towns and villages in the Kingdom. SAPTCO’s international trips include nine countries of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Sudan.
To further improve the company and its services, SAPTCO recently signed a partnership agreement with Ratp Dev to provide maintenance and operations of the Kingdom’s trams, buses, and metros. The two companies have also agreed to bid together on future tenders on projects in the major cities.
However, not everyone is satisfied with SAPTCO’s current status in controlling the land transport network. According to a February report in Arab News, investors wishing to have the opportunity to invest in SAPTCO and other entities of the transport sector may have their chance.
Saeed Al Bassami, deputy chairman of the transport committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was quoted as saying that there has been many requests to end SAPTCO’s monopoly on the Kingdom’s land transport sector in allowing other companies to be established.
Al-Bassami said the transport committee had no objections, as its current aim is to provide a consummate transport system in Saudi Arabia in line with government directives.
In 2008, according to data for SAPTCO, the company transported 11.9 million passengers.

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