Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — There has been a tremendous increase in the number of passengers using public transport buses as well as trains during the year 2023, according to the statistical report released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) on Thursday.

The rate of public transport bus passengers soared176 percent during the year 2023 compared to the year 2022. There has been an increase of more than 117.6 million bus passengers within and between cities during the last year compared to the previous year.

During the year 2023, over 113.5 million passengers used buses within cities, an increase of 195 percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, intercity bus passengers reached around 4.1 million during the same period, with 3.7 million bus trips within and between cities recorded in 2023.

The report also indicated that the total length of the Kingdom’s road network reached 316,900 kilometers in 2023, up by 2.2 percent from the previous year. The length of roads within cities stood at 194,400 kilometers, reflecting a 0.8 percent increase from 2022, while intercity roads reached 74,200 kilometers, up by 0.9 percent from the year before.

The data showed that traffic movement between cities reached 390.4 million vehicles annually, with a monthly average of 33.2 million vehicles. The number of vehicles arriving through land ports totaled 11.8 million in 2023, a 28.9 percent increase from 2022, while vehicles departing through land ports reached 11.9 million, a 26 percent increase from the previous year.

The road transport statistics also showed a 2.5 percent decrease in severe traffic accidents in 2023 compared to 2022. Fatalities resulting from traffic accidents dropped by 2.9 percent from the previous year, while injuries declined by 1.8 percent compared to 2022. The highest percentage of traffic accident fatalities occurred among the 18-30 age group, accounting for 35 percent, followed by the 31-40 age group at 22 percent.

The GASTAT report showed that the number of railway passengers in 2023 reached 30.3 million, marking a significant increase of 33 percent compared to 2022. About 72.5 percent of intracity passengers travelled over one million kilometers, while intercity passengers represented 27.5 percent, completing 31,700 trips that covered a combined distance of 10.4 million kilometers in 2023.

According to the bulletin, Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) recorded 5,200 freight train trips covering a distance of 4.03 million kilometers. SAR operates two major freight routes — North and East — both of which collectively transported over 14.3 million tons of freight, representing a 5.6 percent increase compared to 2022.

The North line carried the bulk of the cargo, accounting for 94.3 percent of the total, which is equivalent to 13.5 million tons. Meanwhile, SAR's East route, primarily focused on container shipments, carried over 699,000 TEUs, reflecting a 3.7 percent increase compared to 2022. The bulletin revealed that the total number of intercity passenger railway stations reached 15. These stations feature 18,359 seats and are serviced by 93 passenger locomotives and 559 coach cars.

Additionally, 12 freight railway stations are equipped with 158 freight locomotives and 3,341 wagons dedicated to cargo transport. The bulletin also highlights that the total number of intracity passenger stations stands at 25.

The bulletin indicated that the total length of intercity passenger railway lines is 3,064 kilometers, and the length of electrified intracity passenger railway lines measures 61.7 kilometers.