Major projects proposed for the capital and to upgrade transport and telecommunications networks
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| Ambitious plans have been made to upgrade Tripoli |
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he
expansion of Libya’s transport and communications infrastructure
is a vital part of the country’s development strategy. While there
is already an efficient road network connecting the principal towns
and cities, much of the transport system is in need of modernisation
and investment.
Colonel Gaddafi’s son, Saif Al Islam Gaddafi, Chairman of the Gaddafi Foundation, says Libya is committed to building up its infrastructure to lay the foundation for economic development. “We are spending our money on modernising the economy and building civilian projects.”
Various major projects are proposed for the capital, Tripoli, including a £282 million metro system, a third ring road around the city worth £169 million, and redevelopment of the seaport and Mitiga airport.
Bashir Ahrir (INTERVIEW), Tripoli’s Secretary for Communication and Transport, has established strong links with foreign companies keen to help out when the work finally gets underway. Studies into these and other projects are already well advanced, he says. The aim is to raise the standard of transport and communications services to that of any other larger metropolitan area around the world. “Libyans are looking to the future with a great deal of expectation,” says Captain Ahrir. “There is a desire to see Tripoli take the position it deserves as the pride of the Mediterranean coast. It is a beautiful city and even though there are a lot of things to be done we are on the right track.”
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The General Authority on Transportation is the state agency that looks after Libya’s road system, maritime transport and civil aviation. While there are great plans to improve the roads and seaport of the capital there are equally ambitious designs on the air transport side. M. Osama N. Seddigh, Secretary of the authority, says that after 25 years of sanctions the air transport infrastructure is lagging behind. This means modernising the country’s airports and the renewal of the commercial airline fleet of Libyan Arab Airlines. The first step, he says, is to prioritise and work out what needs to be done to remedy the situation. “We are working very hard to turn this situation around but there are some elements that need a great amount of investment.”
Already there are plans to purchase more than 20 new planes worth up to £564 million to renew the fleet of the national flag carrier. Since the lifting of UN sanctions, international flights to Libya have slowly been increasing by, among others, British Airways, which operates regular services from London Heathrow.
Like
his fellow countrymen, Mohamed Shlebeik, Chairman of the Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA), has been working to resolve the inherited consequences
of the embargo period. “Our infrastructure suffered greatly in
terms of airport facilities and airline fleets and other areas.”
Several projects have already been undertaken to improve air traffic
control over Libyan airspace, including the introduction of a new radar
network. Mr Shlebeik says the CAA is currently talking to British and
other firms about the expansion of Tripoli international airport. Other
projects on the table include a new airport for Benghazi and modernisation
of smaller regional airports throughout the country.
Outside the transport sector, the overhaul of the communications facilities
serving Libya is another requirement to bring the country up to modern
day standards.
The General Post & Telecommunications Company (GPTC) is the national operator and regulator for all telecommunications services. A government department, it has attempted to introduce some of the latest technologies to the country.
A GSM cellular network was launched in 1997 and the network services are offered by El Madar Telephone Company (Orbit Telecom), a GPTC subsidiary. Much of the cellular infrastructure was installed by Scandinavian giant Ericsson. GPTC is also a small investor in the Thuraya Telecommunications Satellite – the national telecom firm has the rights to distribute and market the communications satellite’s services and products across Libya.
Certainly, on the ground things are improving for customers all the time. The cost of a mobile phone package has come down by 75 per cent in recent years and is expected to continue falling as a second operator launches its rival service–the first hint of competition in the market.
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