Algiers Metro launches open houses

After more than twenty years of waiting, the planned metro system for Algiers is becoming a reality.

By Lyes Aflou for Magharebia in Algiers – 03/08/11

Managers of the new Algiers Metro are organizing a series of open houses to introduce citizens of the capital to the world of mass transit.

The Jardin d'Essai station was opened to the public last Thursday (July 28th). Another open house is planned for Fusillés station on August 4th, followed by Khelifa Boukhalfa station on August 11th and La Grande Poste station on August 18th. The series of events is in preparation for the start of Metro services on October 31th.

RATP-El Djazaïr, the company which runs the transport system, hopes the open houses will allow residents to explore stations themselves, from the electronic ticket terminals to the trains.

A huge crowd turned out for the event at Jardin d'Essai station, where people were curious to see what was there. People familiar with foreign Metro systems ventured a comparison.

"The station is beautiful. And the train with its sky-blue colors is equally nice. I think the Algiers Metro can hold its head up high alongside the European ones," declared Mourad, a doctor.

"My feeling is that today the vision has become a reality; we've actually seen the Metro; now we have to wait just a little longer before we can enjoy it to the full. We've been waiting 30 years for it," said an emotional Fatima, an advertising executive.

The Jardin d'Essai station is tiled throughout, with escalators running down to the platforms. The refined design was a real winner with the Algerians, most of whom had only seen the Metro on the television.

Others, who had experienced foreign Metro systems on their travels, were careful not to let themselves be carried away by any triumphalism. People like Mouloud, a student in Paris, said that the design wasn't particularly original.

But overall, what mattered to people is that this convenient and non-polluting method of urban transport will "help to deal with the serious transport crisis in Algiers, where traffic jams from dawn to dusk make life hell", as stressed by Ourida, a teacher.

The organizers engaged in some symbolic activities during the Metro open house, giving away T-shirts and baseball caps bearing the Metro logo to children.

The Algiers Metro is planned to run seven days a week from 5 am to 11 pm. "It will be used to its maximum capacity during the rush hour, and will carry on average up to 22,000 passengers per hour," said Pascal Garret, general director of RATP El-Djazaïr.

Starting out with one line stretching 9.5km, the Algiers Metro will initially have ten stations located in the communes of Bachdjarah, El Magharia, Hussein Dey, Sidi M'hamed and Central Algiers.

Transport Minister Amar Tou said that provisional handover would be on October 31st.

"In principle, it will be no later than the start of November, but it could equally well occur on November 1st. It all depends on who will be asked to perform the official opening," the minister said.

In the meantime, RATP El-Djazaïr will start trial runs (non-commercial operations) on September 8th, according to open house organizers.

Launched in the 1980s, work on the Algiers Metro was halted for several years. It resumed under the Economic Relaunch Support Plan (2000-2005) and the Complementary Growth Support Plan (2005-2009).

Anyone who missed the guided tour on July 28th will be able to catch up at the next few open houses. The events at the last three stations, which coincide with the month of Ramadan, will be at night, 9:30pm to 12:30am.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/03/feature-04.