Gender-Responsive Public Transportation in the Dammam Metropolitan Region, Saudi Arabia

Muhammad Ahmad Al-Rashid, Kh Md Nahiduzzaman, Sohel Ahmed, Tiziana Campisi and Nurten Akgün
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Muhammad Ahmad Al-Rashid: Department of City and Regional Planning, University of Management and Technology, Lahore 54770, Pakistan
Kh Md Nahiduzzaman: School of Engineering, University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
Sohel Ahmed: Independent Consultant and Researcher, Edinburgh EH9 3DN, UK
Tiziana Campisi: Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Kore University of Enna, Cittadella Universitaria, 94100 Enna, Italy
Nurten Akgün: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Bursa Technical University, 16330 Bursa, Turkey

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 21, 1-17

Abstract: The limited availability of public transportation in Saudi Arabia leads to an increased demand for private vehicles. An increase in using private cars does not meet the global sustainability goals, e.g., reducing energy consumption and improving the air quality. Road users should be encouraged to use sustainable mobility modes, particularly public transportation, equally accessible to both men and women However, women’s mobility has been somewhat limited and challenged in spatio-temporal terms, and partly due to socio-cultural barriers. This study attempts to understand the gender experience of a sample of public transport users and consider their aspirations and needs into daily mobility. A survey campaign (structured interviews and online questionnaires) was launched in the Dammam Metropolitan Region (DMR), taking four different types of respondents into account. The results suggest a predominant preference for taxis for shopping and leisure activities due to a poor public transport service, pivotally characterized by limited operational routes, hours, and infrastructure. This study ponders upon the adequacy of the supporting infrastructures and interior design of the public buses to women’s needs and compare them with global best practices. The results suggest that, due to the absence of a gender-responsive design and infrastructure, women are forced to use taxis, although privacy and a sense of insecurity often become concerns when traveling alone or with children. The study results allow future research to be expanded, considering women’s mobility patterns, needs, and embedded barriers by comparing the results with current transport policies, plans, and practices.

Keywords: public transportation; gender-responsive design; sustainable mobility; gendered need; Saudi Arabia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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