Riyadh: The Transport General Authority (TGA) announced that public transport ridership in the Kingdom reached 420.6 million passengers in 2025, marking a 129% growth compared to 183.3 million in 2019. This milestone, marking World Public Transport Day on April 17, underscores the sector's rapid expansion and its vital role in enhancing the quality of life, reducing traffic congestion, and lowering environmental emissions.

According to Saudi Press Agency, the authority reported a 61% growth rate between 2024 and 2025, while the first quarter of 2026 saw a 20% increase in users compared to the same period last year. This surge is supported by the significant expansion of city bus services, which now operate in 17 cities and governorates, up from only four in 2019, utilizing advanced, tech-equipped fleets to improve connectivity and reliability.

The authority noted that taxi trips exceeded 377 million between 2019 and 2025, a 15% increase, while ride-hailing applications recorded over 548 million trips, growing by 64%. Furthermore, automated train systems showed high efficiency in 2025, with the King Abdulaziz International Airport train in Jeddah serving over 34 million passengers and the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University train in Riyadh serving over three million.