Governments in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) could unlock $400 billion of socio-economic value through the adoption and deployment of sustainable mobility strategies and technologies, according to a new report from Strategy & Middle East, part of the PwC network.
The report, “Sustainable Mobility: Inverting the Transport Pyramid”, said GCC countries have ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve sustainable development.
To achieve these goals, governments must incentivize environment-friendly and energy-efficient modes of transportation such as electric- and hybrid-powered vehicles, vehicle sharing and micro-mobility such as scooters and bicycles.
Asharq Al-Awsat received a copy of the report that details the five pillars for unlocking value.
“First, a multi-modal, integrated, and robust public transport system is central to sustainable mobility systems. Governments should continue to invest in these systems and aim to shift to a fully electric fleet.
Second is electrification. Governments should enable and encourage EV adoption for privately owned cars and create a network of charging stations in parking lots in high-traffic areas. In 2020, 3.2 million EVs were sold worldwide, up 43 percent over 2019, during a pandemic and an economic slowdown.
Next, cities can encourage shared mobility solutions to increase riders per vehicle, improve asset utilization, and move commuters more efficiently.
Another key pillar is “Soft modes of transport” - micromobility solutions can increase the options for urban residents and increase usage of public transport by addressing first-mile and last-mile connection challenges.
“GCC countries have taken important steps to build sustainability into their national development plans,” said Gustave Cordahi, manager with Strategy& Middle East.
“They must now apply this approach to the mobility sector,” he added.
By “inverting the transport pyramid,” governments can improve their sustainability performance, making GCC cities safer, healthier and more economically relevant for today’s residents and future generations, Cordahi added.
“Privately owned vehicles remain the most popular mode of transportation. CO2 emissions and congestion have cost ramifications and hinder our region from achieving sustainability goals,” said Mark Haddad, principal with Strategy& Middle East.
“To reverse this trend, several cities are building new and modernizing existing public transport systems including metro, tram, and bus networks. Some also have ambitious goals to adopt smart mobility technologies within the next decade,” he stated.
