News of today's inauguration of the green line of the Dubai Metro are all over the different UAE channels. The launch of the green line, the second part of Dubai's metro system, made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest automated system in the world.
The shots of Dubai's underground got me thinking about Kuwait's metro plan. I hope it doesn't become one of the projects Kuwait aspires to undertake, but never actually gets around to beginning. Maybe since Dubai is progressing with their underground, Kuwait will start catching up (some inter-urban competition)? However, I'm somewhat optimistic if only because there's an actual map of the proposed metro system (at least it's something).
This is apparently the updated design for Kuwait's metro plan, off of re:kuwait's blog. It could very well remedy the abnormal traffic that's been plaguing Kuwait for quite some time now. Interestingly enough, Dubai's metro will have 'women only' cars as well as VIP sections for those willing to pay the extra fare. I wonder if Kuwait will plan the same. You'd never see anything like this in the London underground!
(Dubai Metro's Green Line - image from gulfnews.com)
The shots of Dubai's underground got me thinking about Kuwait's metro plan. I hope it doesn't become one of the projects Kuwait aspires to undertake, but never actually gets around to beginning. Maybe since Dubai is progressing with their underground, Kuwait will start catching up (some inter-urban competition)? However, I'm somewhat optimistic if only because there's an actual map of the proposed metro system (at least it's something).
This is apparently the updated design for Kuwait's metro plan, off of re:kuwait's blog. It could very well remedy the abnormal traffic that's been plaguing Kuwait for quite some time now. Interestingly enough, Dubai's metro will have 'women only' cars as well as VIP sections for those willing to pay the extra fare. I wonder if Kuwait will plan the same. You'd never see anything like this in the London underground!
As far as I know, Kuwait will have a class system similar to the one in Dubai.
ReplyDeleteAlso, i'm starting to lose faith in the project. I don't think the people in charge are doing it for the right reasons. I was at a conference about the metro where a person in charge of designing the project was complaining that people won't use it because nobody walks. The fact that it would act as a generator for walking was lost on him. People don't walk in Kuwait not because they don't want to, but because they can't.
The project will also never be successful if we continue to subsidize petrol. Dubai gradually raised the price of gasoline to incentivize people to use transit. I don't see any sort of leadership on this issue that you see with RTA and urban planning in Dubai in general.
That's true - people can't walk here. If we put issues like weather aside, it's quite clear that Kuwait wasn't designed for walkers.
ReplyDeleteSubsidizing petrol is also another interesting point, but would people in Kuwait stand for that? One of the positive things that many people say about Kuwait about is that the price of gas is so cheap here in comparison to other countries.
I also think social/cultural issues might come into play here. If the metro does one day exist - will citizens use it? Or will this end up being a mode of transportation used mostly by foreigners and laborers
Well, you can take out the subsidy from the price of petrol (so that it's sold at its real market price) and then give Kuwaitis a cheque which would be the price of the money usually spent by the government on the subsidy divided by the population.
ReplyDeleteThis way, people still get the same amount of largesse from the government but at least we're not incentivizing people to waste our resources which we could be selling for real money. Also, that would make people think twice about buying more cars than they need, and carpooling, and maybe even thinking about using the metro or walking.
There's always a solution if people are open about tackling an issue.
GC is doomed whether they use Metro or not- it is the mind-set that is the bomb ticking...
ReplyDelete