Damascus Plans Metro

by Adam Gonn
Sunday, January 10, 2010

Syria is securing funds for a metro in one of the oldest cities in the world.

Investments are coming together for a new metro in the Syrian capital Damascus.

The Syrian State Planning Commission is securing the remaining $864 million needed for the construction of a light rail in Damascus.

So far the European Investment Bank and the French Government have indicated that they are willing to contribute to the project.

“In principal the metro or mass transposition in Damascus is a good idea but there are some fears about few things,” Syrian economist Samir Aita, told The Media Line. “One is getting the line down in a very old city. You never know what you might find.”

“The second thing is what type of real estate projects are developed along the line,” he said. “This problem is linked to urban management of the city and there are a lot of fears about who this will involve, especially in the area around the old city.”

Damascus in one of the world’s oldest cities, with signs of human activity recorded as far back as 6300 BC. Throughout history Damascus has been the capital of a number of dynasties.

“Today what is called the old city is only what is inside the walls, while you have a lot of historical areas that are outside the old walls,” Aita said. “There are some fears the development will lead to the emptying of the old city from its basic social structure.”

With a lack of clarity as to the nature of real estate projects along the proposed metro line, analysts warn that the old city may soon be a deserted tourist attraction, rather than a living part of the city.

“Syria has opened its foreign trade and imported a lot of cars,” Aita said. “In most Syrian cities, including Damascus, traffic jams have become a nightmare.”

“There is a lack of public transportation in the city but it’s a question of resources,” he said. “It’s a very good thing to have mass public transportation in Damascus but one must question the value of the metro compared to other things.”

“Is this a priority compared to trains between Damascus and Aleppo or trains between Damascus and the North Eastern region,” Aita asked.

The current travel time from Damascus to cities in the northeast is some 12 hours.

Source: Media Line.
Link: http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=27671.