Full public bus network operation announced

Manama, July 31 (BNA): Following the unveiling of the new Public Transport Network in April 2015, the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications announces today the full implementation of the new network, marking a major milestone of this national project that aims to modernize and upgrade the national public transport service and elevate the standard of living for all citizens and residents by providing a safe, accessible, high quality public transport system on par with global standards and in line with the country’s Economic Vision 2030. The new public transportation bus network is now fully rolled out with 141 buses operating on 32 routes, with new destinations previously not covered including Bahrain University, Mina Salman and Amwaj Islands, as well as new express links serving Manama and Muharraq and a new service for travellers at Bahrain International Airport, as well as more frequent buses between key residential areas. Ten new routes start operations today following on from the introduction in April 2015 of an enhanced network of 22 routes operated by 77 buses – compared to 35 buses and 12 routes that made up the old network. With the full implementation of the 32 routes, the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications (MTT) has now achieved over 77% network coverage catering to approximately 50,000 passengers on a daily basis compared to 16,000 previously. On this occasion, His Excellency Engineer Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications stated "MTT has been working on this strategic project of national importance for the past two and a half years. Over the past six months, the Ministry has been fully committed in seeing the full implementation and successful rollout of the new public transport network. "We are working on several fronts, including network, fleet, infrastructure, regulation, technology, training and marketing to ensure the smooth implementation of operations, and have been taking all customer feedback on board to make improvements based on riders’ requirements." His Excellency further added "Any advanced country needs a fully integrated transportation network. A sustainable public transport system is instrumental in the mobility of people and serves in enhancing the quality of life for citizens and creating a sustainable industry that will contribute to the Kingdom’s development. "The public transport network is one of several large-scale transportation projects that we are working on. Our long term vision is to provide alternative and attractive solutions to the nation’s transport needs which are built on safety, accessibility and service excellence with the passenger’s experience namely safety and security-- at the forefront. "We are proud of the success of this project so far, as evidenced by numbers: We reached record number of passengers on the first day of Eid Al Fitr, with over 36,000 riders using the buses on the first day of Eid. This is a huge jump from 18,000 passengers which was the previous record of the old operator," said His Excellency. Commenting on the bus operations, Her Excellency Undersecretary for Land Transport and Post Affairs at MTT Engineer Mariam Ahmed Jumaan said "In addition to the launch of the full network which features an expanded fleet and routes, we are also very proud to launch the new GO Cards today. These are paperless tickets that will now be used in addition to the paper tickets. Users can now buy these cards with prepaid credit, and they swipe them on board upon entering and exiting the bus, making journeys faster as riders no longer need to buy a ticket every time they board the bus. "With the introduction of these cards, the Ministry’s efforts will now be focused on introducing more technology to allow e-ticketing, online top-ups and mobile applications to further enhance the user’s experience. "We are working closely with the bus operator, Bahrain Public Transport Company (BPTC) to ensure that the service meets the requirements of our passengers while adhering to international industry standards. "So far, we have been gauging passenger numbers and feedback. The outlook is very encouraging; before we even started full operations we had achieved a number of 25,000 passengers, compared to the record of the previous operator of 18,000. The passengers statistics over Eid indicate that this will only continue to increase with the full rollout of the network, and we are very optimistic about the growth prospects," she said. "Simultaneously, the work is underway on shelters rehabilitation whereby the entire network is being fitted out with modern upgraded shelters. Work at the main terminals in Manama, Muharraq and Isa Town has been completed, and a significant upgrade of the bus depot in Isa Town has been undertaken." The network’s support infrastructureand facilities’upgrade and development are also underway with several new bus shelters now installed and the entire demolition and rebuilding of the bus shelters is expected to be completed in 2016. With an overall aim of elevating the public transport experience and improving the passenger experience across the entire journey, the MTT is working on ensuring that shelter provisions are widely available and easily accessible across the new network. The full network features new connections and interchange locations - which facilitate safe and easy transfer between buses - as well as additional localised routes in the capital Manama and other vital locations across the Kingdom’s Governorates. Moreover, the interchange locations at the Bahrain International Airport, City Centre Mall, Salmaniya Hospital, Budaiya, Alba and Souq Waqif will supplement the three main bus terminals at Manama, Muharraq and Isa Town where new facilities are being installed to provide passengers with improved information, including real-time departure displays, manned ticket office facilities and ticket vending machines. 8 routes now serve Bahrain International Airport including the introduction of a dedicated service for airport travellers as well as local routes for those working at the airport or visiting. With the upgrade of the fleet and the addition of the 141 new buses, frequencies on the network are now greatly enhanced, with passengers not needing to wait more than an average of 22 minutes on any given route, with the busiest routes operating up to every 15 minutes, providing a ‘turn up and go’ service. With the enhanced shelters that will be fully completed in the next 18 months, the passenger experience will be more comfortable and efficient. Mark Kipling, Director of BPTC, said "Customers are delighted with the new system, with our accessible, air-conditioned fleet with free wifi, and the new routes making areas of the Kingdom previously inaccessible without a car just a short affordable bus ride away. Our services are controlled 24/7 from our state of the art control centre and all our fleet are fitted with CCTV cameras, so customers can be confident we will take care of them during their journey.As the roll out completes, our focus will be on listening to customer feedback and working in partnership with relevant authorities to make further improvements to the network." It is worth noting that the new public transport system is based on a zonal structure which is designed to make travel simpler by ensuring fares are directly proportionate to distance travelled. The network has been divided into 14 zones, and a day pass offer was introduced in April 1st which provides unlimited use on all buses and routes for a day, thereby providing significant savings for passengers. As part of MTT’s strategic plan to develop the land transport sector, further developments in regulation are currently being put into place with the advent of the new Traffic Law. One of the Ministry’s key roles is to regulate the land transport sector which includes taxis, call taxis, and car rental companies. By regulating the sector, the Ministry will encourage fair competition among licensees, and improve the quality of services offered by ensuring the implementation of certain standards such as safety regulations. The Ministry is also seeking to encourage new companies to investment and operate within the sector. It should be noted that the new public transport project was first launched in February 2015 with the appointment of a new operator - Bahrain Public Transport Company (BPTC) - a joint venture partnership between National Express Group plc (UK) and Ahmed Mansour Al Aali (AMA). BPTC bring over 25 years’ experience in operating public transport networks in Europe and North America.