Michael J Fox may have once convinced the cinema-going public that the future of transportation was the hoverboard, but while the reality is sadly somewhat less spectacular, its potential benefits can be felt in nearly every corner of the economy. Intelligent, integrated transportation systems are where the future really lies, and as the first phase of the ambitious Dubai Tram project nears completion, it is worth taking a closer look at why the “Smart Transport” concept is beginning to find traction in the GCC.
As the countries of the GCC continue to flourish, so do the numbers of people flocking to the region to live, work, and play. And with four of the region’s cities featuring among the 250 fastest growing cities in the world – Riyadh (43rd), Jeddah (51st), Mecca (85th) and Kuwait City (246th), according to IDC research – the strain currently being felt by the GCC’s existing infrastructure is only going to intensify.
Indeed, the new urban challenges facing cities in the GCC provide an almost watertight justification for investment in Smart Transport solutions, but what exactly comprises a Smart Transport solution? IDC believes there are five components that should be included in any carefully crafted master plan – advanced public transportation, car sharing and bike sharing, tolling and congestion charging, smart parking and traveller information systems. And while a focused and coordinated investment in all five of these areas may sound prohibitively expensive, the significance of the three major upsides cannot be over-exaggerated.
Firstly, economic development is heavily reliant on the provision of effective and reliable transport infrastructure – to transport goods, to get citizens to their jobs and to bring tourists and visitors to shops and attractions. The GPS manufacturer TomTom estimates that the average driver loses eight working days per year due to congestion, and while a reduction in traffic is the most obvious benefit of Smart Transport, the advantages can also be seen in emergency situations where citizens need to be quickly evacuated away from dangerous areas, and when managing events that swell urban populations for short periods of time.
The second major impact of Smart Transport systems is on the environment. Local governments are now tasked with attaining clearly defined sustainability targets, and these targets become ever more difficult to achieve as our reliance on petroleum-based modes of transportation increases. Ford Motor predicts that the number of cars globally will increase from approximately 1 billion today to 4 billion in 2050, and while Smart Transport cannot possibly hope to remove them all from the roads, it can play a huge role in reducing unnecessary emissions caused by idling in traffic or searching for parking spaces.
Thirdly, the implementation of Smart Transport has been proven to generate higher levels of satisfaction among citizens and tourists alike. Every city experiences traffic congestion, and it is a major source of frustration for both residents and visitors, along with delays in public transport services. By reducing commute times and making it easier to get to jobs, schools, shops, and cultural attractions, IDC believes Smart Transport can have an instant positive impact on the quality of life, providing forward-thinking municipalities with a hugely attractive competitive advantage over their neighbours.
Whatever the various available options are, it is abundantly clear that it is no longer cost-effective or feasible to continue developing the region’s road infrastructure to cope with rising populations in urban areas. Given this new reality and the numerous benefits outlined above, IDC recommends a combination of approaches to optimise existing infrastructure in order to achieve the ultimate goal: integrated, multi-model transportation across entire metropolitan areas or transportation corridors.
The five components of Smart Transport outlined earlier epitomise this integrated, multi-model approach. To date, only a few cities in the GCC have a history of operating urban public transportation systems. Dubai has played a prominent role in this area, with the Dubai Metro having served well over 300 million passengers since its launch in September 2009. The 75km rapid transit system is soon to be joined by the Dubai Tram, a 14.5km network that will eventually link up with both the city’s metro system and the Palm Jumeirah’s monorail.
Tourism is a critical pillar of the UAE economy and its significance will only intensify over the coming years as Dubai gears up to host the World Expo in 2020. With more than 25 million people expected to visit the emirate during the six months of the Expo, Dubai clearly has a lot of work to do. To this end, the emirate has already updated its transport master plan, with Mattar Al Tayer, the chairman of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), announcing that Dubai Metro’s Red Line will be extended to reach the exhibition site, where a new metro station will be built to serve the millions of additional visitors. And further Smart Transport announcements will surely follow as the months pass.
Elsewhere in the region, pilgrimages are serving as a major driver behind initiatives to improve existing infrastructure and move towards a smarter transport future. For example, the population of no other city in the world is multiplied by three at least twice a year, every single year, but that’s exactly what happens when Mecca hosts the annual Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. And with this comes a pressing need to manage the regular flows of many millions of people descending on a well-defined yet limited space. As with Dubai, investment in an integrated set of smart transportation solutions that enable citizens and visitors to take multiple, sustainable modes of transportation from point A to point B will deliver immediate and undeniable benefits.
Ensuring coordination of all the various Smart Transport solutions across multiple cities and operation centres will require incredibly strong leadership, with Big Data and advanced analytics, sensors and data collection devices, and traveller information systems such as wireless message panels, mobile apps and traffic hotlines all playing a critical role. The future of transportation might not appear as smart as we had once envisioned, but the reality is that extremely complex skill sets will be required if the GCC is to succeed in its quest for a smarter, less congested and more sustainable future.
Ruthbea Clarke is global research director of smart cities strategies at IDC Government Insights
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