Journal of Sustainability Science and Management eISSN: 2672-7226 Volume 14 Number 2, April 2019 : 157-171 © Penerbit UMT

ISSUES UNDERMINING PUBLIC TRANSPORT UTILIZATION IN CITY, : AN EXPERT-BASED ANALYSIS

UMAR LAWAL DANO* AND ALI MUFLAH ALQAHTANY

Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (formerly University of Dammam), P.O. Box 2397, Dammam 31451, Saudi Arabia

*Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract: Public transport is regarded as one of the most sustainable modes of commuting that enhances the socioeconomic development of society. This study examines the factors that undermine the utilization of public transport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It utilizes expert-based opinions and employs Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assess the contribution of each factor through weights (W) assignment. The results indicated travel time (W=0.285) as the top undermining factor, followed by privacy (W=0.262) and weather conditions (W=0.127). The findings will assist decision-makers in implementing policies to improve the efficiency of public transport in their respective cities. The study concludes by underscoring certain drawbacks and the implications of partially implementing certain policies on commuters.

KEYWORDS: Analytic hierarchy process, sustainable transportation, public transport utilization Introduction City roads are dominated by private vehicles, which have severely polluted the Improving the utilization of public transport environment because of their use of fossil fuel is particularly important in fulfilling social (Pojani & Stead, 2015; Mamat et al., 2016). mobility obligations, lessening the negative However, in Northern Europe, a number of impact of a large number of privateautomobiles cities have experienced change in their urban and ensuring sustainable transportation (Bouf settings; some road networks have been & Hensher 2007). Sustainable transportation converted for other uses to discourage private can minimize a city or country’s contribution cars from plying major parts of the city centre to negative environmental, social and climate- and/or restricting them to other parts of the city change effects (Miralles-Guasch & Domene, (Pojani & Stead, 2015). The government of 2010). those countries are promoting sustainable living in cities by enhancing public transport It depends on the type of vehicles on the and creating more pedestrian walkways road, their energy source, and infrastructure to (UNECE, 2011; OECD, 2013). accommodate the needs of a given society. The transport sector is one of the highest Greenhouse In most cities of the developing world, Gas (GHG) emitters compared to other energy- the transport system is actually far from consuming sectors (UN News, 2016). In 2004, ideal (Pojani & Stead, 2015). Those cities it contributed to about a quarter of the world’s are facing enormous challenges that include carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in energy usage, traffic congestion, high GHG emission, road with three-quarters of that figure coming from accidents, poor public transport services, energy road vehicles (Metz, 2001). The emission has depletion, environmental degradation, and lack been predicted to rise by 80 % between 2007 of accessibility/affordability to facilities for and 2030 due to the increase in private car the urban poor (Pojani & Stead, 2015). It is ownership (Metz, 2001). A report released in estimated that by 2050, the use of private cars 2011 by Ward’s Auto stated that, globally, the will increase three-fold, with most ownership- number of cars had increased from 980 million taking place in developing nations, where road in 2009, to 1.015 billion in 2010. accidents and fatalities are increasing (UN News,

158 ISSUES UNDERMINING PUBLIC TRANSPORT UTILIZATION IN DAMMAM CITY, SAUDI ARABIA: AN EXPERT-BASED ANALYSIS

2016). This is evident as most of the cities are and economic challenge that cost around 21 more concerned with expanding their transport billion riyals in losses annually (Ansari et al., infrastructure to accommodate private vehicles, 2000). Moreover, road accidents had been with little investment in public transport. Thus, reported to kill more than 4,100 people and this current trend will definitely increase carbon injure 28,000 every year (General Directorate emission, thereby compounding the challenges of Traffic, 2003). That figure increased between faced in reducing the global average temperature 2008 and 2009, when a website revealed that by 2°C (UN News, 2016). 6,485 people had died and more than 36,000 injured in more than 485,000 cases of road In Saudi Arabia, the utilization of public accidents in Saudi Arabia (Green Prophet, transport continues to remain minimal. This has 2010). This shows how the increase in the led to a car ownership rate of 219 cars per 1000 use of private cars is negatively affecting the persons (Gately et al., 2013). The country’s citizens’ lives, health, and socioeconomic land-use policy and layout designs are among wellbeing. The importance of using public the major reasons behind this increase, with transport and reduction of private cars on the sizeable spaces allocated for roads and roadside road to improve the wellbeing of society and parking (Muller, 2004; Glaeser & Kahn, 2004). promoting sustainable cities is outlines in the Saudi Arabians have bought approximately 40 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals % of the vehicles sold in the Middle East, and (SDG). The third goal highlights theimportance it has the largest auto and auto parts market in of reducing road accidents to preserve life. It the region. The country imported approximately states that half of the world’s mortality rate is due one million vehicles in 2016 (US Department to road accidents. Similarly, Goal 13 highlights of Commerce, 2017). Therefore, coupled with the importance of combating climate change, economic and population growth, Saudi Arabia thereby focusing on minimizing pollutants from is witnessing an incessant increase in the use of vehicles. private cars. Currently, sustainable developmenthas firmly Dammam city, the third-largest conurbation established the pillars of a public policy agenda in Saudi Arabia, is similarly experiencing the by looking at development issues through the same challenges in its transport system. The lens of sustainable shift (Hezri, 2014). Thus, city has one of the largest numbers of one of the sustainable ways of achieving the expatriates attracted to its excellent noble SDG is by promoting public transport. infrastructural facilities. This is one of the However, this is not possible without identifying reasons the city is experiencing a continuous the factors undermining the objective. Such increase in the number of private cars. Absence factors include travel time, lack of accessibility, of public transport utilization is, therefore, high cost, lack of comfort, lack of security, long apparent in Dammam. waiting time, and lack of privacy (Cascetta & The negative impact associated with the Cartenì, 2014; Kim et al., 2017). lack of utilization of public transport has been Current literature reveals that public widely recognised. Meanwhile, more motorized transport is under-utilized in both developed transport is reported to increase climate-active and developing countries (Banai, 2006; Daniels pollutants, such as a nitrous oxide (NO), CO2 & Mulley, 2013; Duleba et al., 2013; Cascetta and methane (Woodcock et al., 2009; WHO, & Cartenì, 2014; Pojani & Stead, 2015; Kim et 2015; Pojani & Stead, 2015). The poor air al., 2017; Xia et al., 2017; Sagaris et al., 2017). quality has been estimated to cause seven Similarly, in Saudi Arabia, there are several million deaths annually, besides bringing studies, but few have explored expert opinion. ailments like heart disease, asthma, bronchitis For example, Aljarad & Black (1995) employed and brain damage (UN News, 2016). statistical indices in modeling a corridor mode Similarly, in Saudi Arabia, road accidents choice between Saudi Arabia and . The alone has been rated as the second major health

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Umar Lawal Dano and Ali Muflah Alqathany 159 study concluded that the origin of intercity parents’ education level. The study concluded trips had an influence on the mode of transport that MLP provided a better way for predicting between and Gulf Corporation Council and explaining the mode choice behavior of (GCC) countries. high school students in Saudi Arabia as a whole. Al-Faleh (2005) investigated the problems Alotaibi and Potoglou (2017) investigated of public transport networks and coverage. whether the transport policy measures in Riyadh The author suggested an organized body to could encourage the use of public transport. The manage the whole network in GCC countries. authors concluded that improved infrastructure, Another study conducted by Alterkawi (2006) affordable parking charges; proper transit- used the FORTRAN program to simulate the oriented development sites, enhanced facilities best bus stop spacing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. and provision of separate carriageways for They concluded that an effective bus system families are the most effective strategies to should be based on the optimum distance increase the utilization of public transport. between bus stops in the city. Al-Sharif (2010) Aldalbahi & Walker (2016) investigated the and Dano (2018) highlighted the lack of public reason behind the increase in car ownership transport provision and utilization in Saudi and its influence on the use of public transport Arabia, and the negative consequences on in Riyadh. The authors found that based on the the people and the environment. Among the review of historical and future developments of problems they highlighted are road accidents the Saudi capital, there was a need to go (causing injuries, permanent disability and beyond engineering solutions by considering death), traffic congestion, GHG emissions, the entire system, including community health complications and economic cost. participation, society and culture, and the effects of the engineering solutions themselves. Ratrout et al. (2018) developed mode-choice Al-Atawi et al. (2016) conducted another study models for schoolboys in Al- and in Tabuk. They employed the analytical metropolitan areas using logit models hierarchy process (AHP) in developing for the present mode choices and a hypothetical sustainable transport strategies using travel bus service for future modes choices. The data. The study found that the strategy of study found that the family income was the promoting a clean environment was ranked major factor that determined mode choice higher, while that of charging motorists upon decisions. In , Aljoufie, (2016) employed entering the city was ranked lower. The authors questionnaires to explore determinants of concluded that it was important to rank public transport planning based on the mode transport sustainability at different stages of preference, walking distance, comfort and implementation to provide better number of transfers. The study concluded that recommendations for the implementation the public transport system in the city needed process. Moreover, there is also an unpublished more privacy and to fulfil the requirements study by Al-Obaidallah (2012) on the critical of family members to increase its utilization. evaluation of public transport in Dammam in Alotaibi & Potoglou (2018) conducted in-depth terms of services and availability. interviews with transport experts and officials on the importance of introducing public transport However, none of the studies mentioned services in Riyadh. The interviewees concluded had considered the same factors used in this that it would help to improve mobility, create study despite similar methodologies by Al- employment opportunities and decrease travel Atawi et al. (2016) and Aljoufie (2016). time in the Saudi capital. Assi et al. (2018) used Therefore, this study aims to bridge the gap logistic regression and multilayer perception by evaluating the impact of travel time, cost, neural networks (MLPs) in predicting the mode- weather conditions, privacy, accessibility and choice behavior of high school students in Al- comfort using AHP in Dammam. Decision- Khobar based on family income, travel timeand making deals with complex criteria associated with the sorting out of alternatives, transport

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160 ISSUES UNDERMINING PUBLIC TRANSPORT UTILIZATION IN DAMMAM CITY, SAUDI ARABIA: AN EXPERT-BASED ANALYSIS mode, and awareness of the environmental Study Area impact in terms of GHG emission, and AHP identifies the hierarchical influences of these Dammam metropolis connects with the factors (Banai, 2006). In most cases, the neighboring conurbations of Dammam, Khobar, decisions are combined with intangible and Dhahran and the emerging areas of Aziziyah tangible elements, which are usually influenced and Half Moon districts (Figure 1). Larger by interest groups, politicians, government Dammam comprises Dammam city and the organizations and the community (Meyer & bordering municipalities of , Safwa and Miller, 2001). Decision- making on public Ras-Tanuraas. Dammam spans approximately transport policies is both a political and 380,000 ha, housing roughly more than four technical process (Wachs, 1985). It is usually million residents (Aboukorin & Al-Shihri, made by several participants and ïnvestors 2015). (Hall, 1980; Levine, 1999).

Figure 1: Dammam metropolitan area: Components and external connections (Source: General Administration of Urban Planning, 2017). Public Transport in Dammam Asian laborers commute using intra-city buses operated by Saudi Arabian Public Transport Despite the importance of public transport, Company (SAPTCO). The buses are not well most residents in Dammam do not prefer to maintained and well-shaded bus stops are not use it. There are several reasons for this. provided. The good buses by SAPTCO are used First, less-privileged expatriates like south for long-distance intercity travel. Second is the

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availability of cheap energy. The market prices is the key driver for a high percentage of car of petroleum and its products are relatively ownership and suburbanization, which, in cheap compared with other nations with similar turn, increases accident rates. According to Al gross domestic product (GDP) (Abubakar & Obaidallah (2012), the average car ownership Aina, 2016). The price of petrol in Saudi Arabia, per household in Dammam is 6.1 %, which is which ranges between US$ 0.36 and 0.54 per quite high compared with other US cities, such litre, is the lowest in the Middle East and North as Alexandria in Virginia (1.34%), Amarillo African (MENA) region, and far lower than in Texas (1.81%), Arden-Arcade in California the world average cost of US$ 1.41. It is even (1.58%), Arvada in Colorado (2.07%), and cheaper than the United States (US), where the Brandon in Florida (1.69%) (Governing the average is US$ 0.74. The price is comparable States and Localities, 2016). As shown in Table with Nigeria (US$ 0.45) but cannot match 1, approximately five % only of Saudi families neighbouring Kuwait, where it is US$ 0.23 do not have cars whereas 95% have at least one. (Lahn & Stevens, 2011). Compared with non-Saudi families, 29 % do not have cars while 71 % have at least one. These Thus, the increase in private cars in Saudi facts show that Dammam residents depend Arabia is because of the subsidized rate of on their own cars for a daily commute, thereby petroleum, which is economically making it a priority for mobility. unsustainable. The low price of petroleum

Table 1: Car ownership in Dammam (Source: Al-Sharif, 2010).

The number of cars Saudi families (%) Non-Saudi families (%) No car 4.97 28.72 One car 48.21 58.86 Two cars 25.28 7.78 Three cars and more 21.54 4.63 Total 100 100

Materials and Methods privacy, accessibility, and comfort. There are Selection of Factors Undermining Public many other factors responsible in undermining Transport Utilization in Dammam public transport utilization, but the factors in this study were the most applicable in Dammam. A Factors that undermine the utilization of any pilot survey had confirmed this assertion. mode of public transport are those that influence the passenger’s perception about the services Expert-based Questionnaire Administration rendered by the public transport sector. Thus, in this study, the selection of factors was The AHP expert-based questionnaire was determined through literature review and a pilot adopted from Saaty’s scale of preference (Saaty, study. 2003). An introduction containing the aim of the research clearly explained how to respond to For example, Cascetta & Cartenì (2014) the questions. Questions that allowed the pair- and Kim et al. (2017) argued that long travel wise comparisons to take place were posed to time, high monetary cost, poor accessibility, respondents in the following manner: “Which and discomfort could undermine the quality of factor is more important in undermining the service. . Similarly, Aljoufie (2016) reported that utilization of public transportation in the study privacy; especially in the Saudi Arabian area, for example, travel time, privacy, comfort, context, was a major factor in the travel cost, and or accessibility; and how much underutilization of public transport. The factors times important?” analyzed in this study were travel time; cost, weather conditions,

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A pilot survey was conducted to correct measure of inconsistency took the inconsistency ambiguities, such as checking wordings to of both pair of elements into account. Therefore, ensure that respondents understood the questions for the benefit of efficiency, trade-off between within the context. According to Bell (2001c), consistency and redundancy was made to obtain a pilot study was about “getting the bugs out the validity of the instrument. of the instruments” (questionnaire) so that the respondents would not face trouble completing After using the pair-wise comparisons to the questionnaire. Moreover, the pilot survey rank the factors undermining public transport enabledrespondents to understandthe factors and utilization, a reliability test was carried out to their implications of each other in undermining ascertain how reliable the AHP method was. public transport utilization. Impacts of these Although questionnaires among the widely factors were further explained to promote good used techniques of data collection, they are, understanding of the subject. Twelve faculty likewise, prone to errors, which could be members from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal systematic or random (De Vaus,2002). De Vaus University and King Fahad University of (2002) stressed that when a number of Petroleum and Minerals were involved in the elements were evaluated, the best technique to pilot study. Their suggestions and criticisms adopt was the internal consistency approach as really helped in confirming the factors identified it was free from the issues of the test–retest in the course of the literature review and in technique. Therefore, in this study, a consistency finalizing the final version of the instrument. ratio (CR) was used in testing the reliability of the method. CR of 0.10 or less was acceptable to After multiple revisions of the questionnaire, continue the AHP analysis, while a CR greater eight copies of the final version were distributed than 0.10 was not, and therefore the analysis among the experts to obtain their relative would be revised (Saaty, 2012). preference ranking of the factors; and therefore, the respondents had responded in an informed In revising the analysis to remove and competent manner. A number of experts inconsistency, a new judgment was introduced were considered to avoid bias in the calculation to an existing consistency or near consistency to of the experts’ judgment (Ishizaka and Labib, identify which judgment ought to be changed. 2011); otherwise, according to Saaty and Sagir The judgments were changed based on our (2009), the view from a single expert would knowledge and reasoning (Ozdemir, 2005). have been sufficient. One way of achieving In the main survey, the experts were objectivity was the use of questionnaire and consulted through different platforms, including group consultations for weighting (Hossain et the 2017 Fourth Traffic Safety Forum and al., 2009; Saaty and Sagir, 2009; Ishizaka and Exhibition and the Traffic Safety Department of Labib, 2011). the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, A validity test of the instrument was both in Dammam. Among them, five were conducted among the experts utilized in the faculty members from Imam Abdulrahman Bin main survey. Ozdemir (2005) emphasize that Faisal University and King Fahad University in validating AHP instrument, there was a need of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia. to establish redundancy of the informed The other three experts were two senior judgments generated from the experts to research officers working in the Traffic Safety improve validity. This was by establishing a Cluster of the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal larger number of comparisons to generate University and a senior officer of SAPTCO, larger inconsistency. Thus, the pair-wise Dammam branch. These experts were involved comparisons employed in this study helped in in urban transport research, including in an establishing the redundancy. For example, when intelligent public transport system in the city. making judgments, automatically, the Against this backdrop, it was assumed that the reciprocal judgment and

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abovementioned experts had wider experience accordance with the pair-wise comparison of the and that they were competent in providing factors. They were expected to tick the degree meaningful and unbiased information. Thus, of importance of each of the identified factors these characteristics allowed for an intimate believed to be responsible for undermining first-hand knowledge, expertise, and experience public transport utilization, provision and of the subject matter. development in Dammam on a one to nine scale of preference (Table 2). The respondents were requested, based on their expertise and experience, to respond in

Table 2: Saaty’s Scale of Preference (Source: Saaty, 2003)

Degree of importance Definition Interpretation Two element making equal contribution to the 1 Equal importance goal Moderate importance of element over the other 3 Somewhat more important element 5 Much more important Essential or strong importance 7 Very much important Very strong importance 9 Extremely important Extreme importance These are require when comparison between Scale, 2.4, 6 and 8 Intermediate values two adjacent judgment is needed If v is the judgment value when i is compared to j, then 1/v is the judgment Reciprocals value when j is compared to i.

The respondent’s priority ratings were “n” was the number of factors. Thus, in this aggregated using the geometric mean technique study, a matrix was used, where a as presented in equation (1). diagonal one was automatically assigned to each factor when compared by itself. Each Geometric means = factor was evaluated against its peers in relation ((X ) (X ) (X ).... (X ))1/N (1) 1 2 3 N to the goal and objectives of the study. So, this where, process was used throughout the comparisons X = individual ranking and N = sample size of the rest of the criteria. A numerical work (number of scores). The priority ratings assigned took place after assigning all the rankings by the experts assisted in the execution of the assigned by the experts. pair-wise comparisons matrix. Consequently, the rankings in each column Weights Assignment were summed up to give a column total; each of the column elements (value) was divided In calculating the weights of the criteria, by its column total to calculate the normalized the Expert Choice 2000 software (Expert matrix which, when summed up resulted in one Choice, Arlington, Virginia, USA) was used in or 100 %. Hence, in calculating the weight of carrying out the pair-wise comparison matrix each factor, the rows of the normalized matrix in a hierarchical manner. This permits the were rounded up by summing up all the rows’ comparison of two factors at a time with respect elements and divided by the number of factors. to their level of influence in undermining public The weights of the factors were calculated transport utilization, provision, and in accordance with the stages defined by development in Dammam. Malczewski (1999). Therefore, the pair-wise comparisons of the factors were considered as A matrix was set up as based on the the input, whereas the normalized values of priority ratings assigned by the experts, where the eigenvector were used as the final output.

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164 ISSUES UNDERMINING PUBLIC TRANSPORT UTILIZATION IN DAMMAM CITY, SAUDI ARABIA: AN EXPERT-BASED ANALYSIS

Determining the weights helped in identifying Equation (3) came up with the consistency vector, the factors that were more responsible in which was rounded up to get value. The value undermining public transport utilization. was used in calculating the Consistency Index (CI) using equation (4). The priority weights were further validated through the calculation of a CR. The CR indicated the robustness of the findings. In checking the inconsistency, the initial rankings assigned by where, the experts in Figure 2 were multiplied by the W n = number of criteria (i.e. 6) and = average value vector that was calculated under the normalized of the consistency vector determined. Lastly, the matrix W vector. The W was determined using Consistency Ratio was determined by using equation S S (5). equation (2).

where, In calculating the consistency vector, the Dot RI = random consistency index whose value depends

Product (•) of WS was used, as one vector could not on the number (n) of factors being compared; for n = be divided by another vector. That was why the Dot

Product (•) of WS was used as shown in equation (3). 6, RI = 1.24 as shown in Table 3 below.

The WS was then used for division throughout the elements of vector W.

Table 3: Random consistency index (Source: Saaty, 1980)

N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R 0 0 0.58 0.0 1.12 1.24 1.32 1.41 1.45 1.49 The rule of thumb in a CR was that a value transportation in Dammam. The values in greater than 0.1 implied an unacceptable level Figure 2 were vectors of priorities generated of the priority weights calculated. Therefore, from the matrix, which must sum up to one the pair-wise comparisons of the factors should as explained previously. Thus, the results of be revised until an acceptable level was opinions computed by the Expert Choice 2000 reached. Similarly, a CR less than or equals 0.1 software are shown in Figures 3 and 4. This implied an acceptable level of the calculated sort of automatic computation had enabled priority weights. the derivation of priorities (weights), CI and sensitivity analyses based on the eigenvalue Results and Discussion technique (Ishizaka & Labib, 2011).

The results presented the AHP analysis on factors undermining the utilization of public

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Figure 2: Pairwise comparison of factors

Figure 3: Priorities of the factors with respect to the goal of the study Using the CR calculated from Equation 5, weather conditions at 0.127. Hence, according to the inconsistency ratio was 0.03, which was these findings, travel time, privacy and weather quite reasonable. Based on the results in Figure conditions were the most important factors 4, travel time was the most important with a W that undermined public transport provision and value of 0.285, followed by privacy at 0.262 and development in Dammam.

Figure 4: Final priority weights (W) of factors. Dammam has been experiencing enormous with an increase of approximately 1.5 to 1.9 urban growth because of its strategic location as million people in the next 25 years (Aboukorin an oil hub and port city facing the . & Al-shihri, 2015). The city had expanded rapidly between 1972 and 2004, from 2200 ha to 25000 ha, multiplying The growth of Dammam had been approximately 11 times within 30 years. At the associated with challenges, such as high-energy same time, the population growth was around consumption, traffic congestion, road accidents 4.6 times (Abou-Korin, 2011; Alhowaish, and environmental pollution. In tackling those 2015). Its urban population increased in 1974, issues, initiatives to promote public transport 1993, 2004 and 2010, from 365,000 to 1.3, 1.75 utilization should be implemented. This could and 1.8 million people, respectively. With these be achieved by enhancing the quality of services growth rates, the city’s population was predicted in terms of punctuality to reduce waiting time, to reach 3.25 to 3.62 million people in 2040, good walking facilities to the public transport

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166 ISSUES UNDERMINING PUBLIC TRANSPORT UTILIZATION IN DAMMAM CITY, SAUDI ARABIA: AN EXPERT-BASED ANALYSIS hubs to minimize exposure to harsh weather, smart city projects, lack of regulation tomanage and ensuring better privacy and comfort. interoperability and implementation, and lack of uniform vision among stakeholders and funding According to the results, travel time was would become challenges in the projects. Even if the most undermining factor with 28.5 % the metro projects were successfully completed, influence. Residents were used to travelling it would be quite challenging to get Saudis to in private vehicles and had the perception that shift from car dependency to public transport. public transport was not an efficient mode of However, a study by Aljoufie & Tiwari (2017) commuting. This was followed by privacy found that 66 % of respondents preferred a concerns (26.2% influence) and weather smart city with an efficient mass transit service. conditions (12.7 % influence). Notwithstanding, there wasaneedtointroduce These observations were consistent with a regime of disincentives as recommended by Aljoufie (2016), who stressed that improving some experts. Tolls, parking fees, taxes and privacy would attract more people to use public higher fuel price would help immensely in transport because it was an important issue in compelling city residents to use public transport. Saudi Arabia, which practised male guardianship Secondly, the zoning policies in Saudi Arabia as in its society. Lastly, weather conditions were the a whole supported low density andleapfrogging third most undermining factor as residents found developments (Abubakar & Aina, 2016). Much it difficult to wait for transport in the city’s harsh focus was given to developing new residential weather, especially between May and August. zones with free and ample parking spaces in Thus, people continued to depend on private the outskirts instead of existing neighborhoods cars for daily commuting (Dano, 2018). within cities. This had led to the implementation Twenty years ago, Saudi Arabia reported of misguided regulations, a dearth of effective four million road accidents that caused 86,000 planning structure and weak urban management deaths and 611,000 injuries, seven percent of practices (Alshuwaikhat & Nkwenti, 2002). which resulted in permanent disabilities (Arab All these aforementioned challenges have led News, 2013). This was partly because of the to chaotic patterns of development and lack high dependency on private cars in the country, of linkages between the land uses and public where there were approximately 12 million transportation (Abubakar & Aina, 2016). vehicles on the roads of Saudi Arabia daily (US Therefore, in tackling these challenges, Department of Commerce, 2017). It was, the government should think of developing a therefore, necessary for decision-makers to take compact city with high development density, as steps to reduce the use of private cars within the theywere more environmentally sustainable. For city. privacy, the government should provide separate The Saudi government had initiated smart buses and train coaches buses for women. Lastly, city projects to help realize the country’s Vision the government must get the people effectively 2030. The initiatives included metro projects involved in the planning and implementation of in Riyadh, Dammam, Makkah, Madinah and urban sustainability programmes to inspire them Jeddah. For instance, in Dammam, the plan was to become custodians of their environment. to build 50 km of light rail transit, 110 km of The findings of this study had clear policy bus lanes, and 350 km of highways to connect implications for the transport sector as a the city’s peripheries (BNC Network, 2016). whole. Firstly, they could be applied reliably in According to Aina (2017), the completion of resolving the underutilisation of public transport these projects could lead to a decrease in GHG in Saudi Arabia. Asecond implication would be emission and traffic congestion in the major the introduction of disincentives to discourage Saudi cities. However, the study highlighted that the use of private vehicles. Lastly, it could the lack of legal framework in implementingthe serve as a wake-up call for the government to

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reconsider its zoning regulations that gave rise it could help decision-makers in developing to chaotic patterns of development and lack of strategies towards improving transport linkages between land use and public transport infrastructure, amending zoning regulations and (Abubakar & Aina, 2016). developing sustainability programmes for an effective public transport in Dammam. This study contained a few limitations. First was the lack of passenger and motorist Acknowledgements participation. However, this was not as significant as the nature of the study was mostly The authors highly appreciate the valuable focused on expert-based opinion. Lastly, it comments of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ismail Abubakar lacked adequate participation from transport Rimi on the initial draft of the manuscript and industry players, with only one respondent the suggestions by the anonymous reviewers. from SAPTCO. The authors are also grateful to the respondents The subject of urban sustainability and for participating in the survey. sustainable transportation is very broad. In Saudi Arabia, the smart city initiatives will References help promote urban sustainability in many ways. Therefore, future research should focus Abou-Korin, A. A. (2011, December). Impacts on an in-depth study of government activities in of Rapid Urbanization in the Arab World: resolving the challenges of smart city projects The Case of Dammam Metropolitan Area, in the kingdom. In addition, there is a need to Saudi Arabia. Proceedings of the 5th evaluate the passengers’ perspectives. Int’l Conference and Workshop on Built Environment in Developing Countries, Conclusion Universiti Sains Malaysia. Aboukorin, A. A., & Al-Shihri, F. S. (2015). One of the most significant challenges to Rapid urbanization and sustainability development in the 21st Century is the in Saudi Arabia: the case of Dammam management of urbanization. The effectiveness metropolitan area. Journal of Sustainable of using expert-based AHP as an appropriate Development, 8(9), 52-65. decision-making tool to improve public transport utilization and major findings revealed that Abubakar, I. R., & Aina, Y. A. (2016). Achieving travel time was the most important undermining Sustainable Cities in Saudi Arabia: Juggling factor in Dammam, followed by privacy and the Competing Urbanization Challenges. In weather conditions. Thus, policymakers should Population Growth and Rapid Urbanization establish and implement plans that facilitate in the Developing World (pp. 42-63). IGI the improvement of public transport provision, Global. development and utilization. Aina, Y. A. (2017). Achieving smart sustainable Certain policies such as zoning regulations cities with GeoICT support: The Saudi should be amended. For example, theregulation evolving smart cities. Cities, 71, 49-58. that focused on development in major cities might seem highly detrimental and self- Al-Atawi, A. M., Kumar, R., & Saleh, W. defeating, as resources were not allocated (2016). Transportation sustainability index efficiently (Abubakar & Aina, 2016; Garba, for Tabuk city in Saudi Arabia: an analytic 2004). Urban planners should strive to hierarchy process. Transport, 31(1), 47-55. enhance the living condition of the people by Aldalbahi, M., & Walker, G. (2016). Riyadh concentrating on urban challenges, especially transportation history and developing those relating to public transport (UN-Habitat, vision. Procedia-Social and Behavioral 2009). The present study is important because

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