TRAFFIC

Beijing proudly unveils mega-airport due to open in 2019

Beijing - Muslimchronicle

China’s capital unveiled the “shining example” of its 80 billion yuan ($12.14 billion) new airport on Monday, tipped to become one of the world’s largest when it opens in October 2019 amid a massive infrastructure drive overseen by President Xi Jinping. Representatives showed off the sprawling skeleton of “Beijing New Airport,” which is made up of 1.6 million cubic metersRead more

Traffic police warn women about unauthorized driving instructors

Jedahh - Muslimchronicle

The spokesman of the General Department of Traffic, Col. Tareq Al-Rbean, warned Saudi women to be aware of some people who may exploit them under the guise of teaching them how drive or advertising female driving instructors. Al-Rbean stressed in a phone call on Monday with the Rotana “Hala” TV show that “women should not be in a hurry toRead more

Middle East air passenger demand grows below five-year

Dubai - Muslimchronicle

A slowdown in the North American market continued to weigh on Middle East carriers as the 5.5 percent overall passenger traffic increase in August was well below their 11.1 percent five-year average pace, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Thursday. Middle East air freight demand meanwhile maintained their strong upward trend in August, with volumes up 14.1 percentRead more

Indonesia’s notorious traffic jam forces president to walk

Jakarta - Muslimchronicle

Indonesia’s notorious traffic congestion was on display for the world Thursday after the country’s president was forced to walk two kilometers through the scorching heat to attend a military parade. Graft-ridden Indonesia is home to one of Asia’s most inefficient bureaucracies and gridlock plagues many of the archipelago’s largest towns. The country’s traffic nightmares were aptly illustrated when President JokoRead more

Makkah Public Transportation Program inaugurated

Jeddah - Muslimchronicle

Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, governor of Makkah, signed a contract to import, operate and maintain Makkah Public Transportation Program (MPTP) buses with an alliance of national and international specialized companies. Hisham Al-Faleh, secretary-general of the Makkah Development Authority, which is supervising the program, said that the new buses will help in facilitating the circulation of traffic in Makkah, putting a limitRead more

Women drivers will reduce crashes, says interior minister

Jeddah - Muslimchronicle

Saudi Arabia’s lifting of a ban on women drivers will reduce the number of car crashes, said the Kingdom’s interior minister. Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, the interior minister who took over in June, said security forces were ready to apply traffic laws to men and women. “Women driving cars will transform traffic safety to educational practice which willRead more

Police issues oil spill warning in Oman after truck accident

Muscat - Muslimchronicle

An accident involving a truck and another vehicle in Barka has led to leakage of oil on the road. The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has issued a warning to motorists to be careful of the spillage after the Al Nu'man bridge in Barka, while driving towards Sohar. A statement from the ROP read, "A traffic accident took place between aRead more

Mexico in 3-day countdown to search for earthquake survivors

Mexico City - Muslimchronicle

Rescuers are unlikely to find any more survivors of Mexico's earthquake still buried in the ruins and will cease operations to find them at the end of Thursday, the emergency services chief said. Tuesday marks one week since the 7.1 magnitude quake struck around lunchtime, killing 331 people, damaging 11,000 homes and leading to a outpouring of civilian volunteers toRead more

Boeing sees growth in demand for airplanes in Southeast Asia

Bengaluru - Muslimchronicle

Boeing said it sees demand for new airplanes worth $650 billion (SR2.44 billion) in Southeast Asia over the next two decades. The world’s biggest plane maker projected a demand for 4,210 new airplanes in the region over the next 20 years, adding it saw annual traffic growth in Southeast Asia at 6.2 percent. Single-aisle airplanes, like the 737 MAX, wouldRead more

Rhino horn smugglers shift to jewellery: report

Johannesburg - AFP

Rhino horn smugglers in South Africa are increasingly supplying the jewellery trade, marking a shift away from sales to traditional medicine makers, according to a new report published Monday. Conservation group TRAFFIC said Chinese gangs were processing horns into beads, bracelets and bangles to supply Asia's booming luxury goods market while also helping traffickers evade detection at airports. Julian Rademeyer,Read more