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Blue Skies, Blue Seas
In a recent global regional comparison, the Middle East and North Africa had the third highest share of people using their own cars for transportation. The study showed that the region’s car share (the share of trips by car as a percentage of all motorized trips) amounted to 71.5 percent, the third highest share after North America and the Europe and Central Asia region (Fountas et al. 2020), as shown in figure 3.21. Weak transportation systems result in excessive use of often outdated personal vehicles, which in turn leads to high traffic intensities and congestion in the region’s cities (Waked and Afif 2012). Extending the public transportation system requires investments in vehicle fleets such as buses and adequate associated infrastructure like special road lanes for public transportation, tram rails, and pickup stations. These efforts should be accompanied by appropriate urban planning to ensure their integration into longer-term city expansion plans. In the procurement of public transportation fleets, it is crucial to ensure that vehicles meet emissions standards (such as those discussed earlier) or preferably rely on alternative energies such as electric or hybrid engines. Some cities in the Middle East and North Africa
FIGURE 3.21
Share of All Motorized Trips Using Personal Cars, by Global Region
Share of all motorized trips (%)
100
75
50
25
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Source: Based on Fountas et al. 2020. Note: Years of data differ between countries. For a subset of countries, the share is estimated. “North America” includes Canada and the United States.
