Emir of Madinah Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, who is the Chairman of Al Madinah Region Development Authority (MDA), has inaugurated the electric bus services, one of the modern models of eco-friendly modes of public transportation, which provides services to visitors of the Prophet's Mosque and residents of the region. The ceremony was held in the presence of the Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Transport General Authority (TGA), Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, and the CEO of Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO), Eng. Khalid Abdullah Al-Hogail. The electric bus is one of the TGA's projects being implemented in partnership with MDA and the region's municipality. It is an extension of the experiments that the TGA is working on to apply and activate modern technologies of eco-friendly modes of transportation. The electric bus is distinguished by its high operational efficiency, which enables it to travel a distance of 250 kilometers on a single charge via a dedicated track. The chain service will link Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport with the Prophet's Mosque — a distance of 38 kilometers. The service is scheduled to operate more than 16 trips daily over 18 hours. The electric bus features an advanced air conditioning system, display screens showing the trip's details, and dedicated seats to serve people with special needs. New electric buses will be added to the Madinah Buses fleet, which is supervised by MDA, to enhance the service provided to the residents and visitors of Madinah by operating the public transport system through 4 main routes, as the service network will link the north of the city with its south, as well as the east and west of the town, passing by the Prophet's Mosque. The launch of the electric bus comes within the objectives of the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics, which aims to adopt modern methods and technologies in transport activities and services and work to reduce carbon emissions by 25%. The Strategy also seeks to raise the share of public transportation in the Kingdom to 15% by 2030 and contribute to raising the quality of life in major cities through eco-friendly modes of transportation. – SPA
