Exemptions from the ban include vehicles from public cleaning companies and logistical support,” added the Traffic and Patrols Directorate…reports Asian Lite News
Trucks, heavy vehicles and buses transporting labourers will be banned from Abu Dhabi roads on New Year’s Eve, the Traffic and Patrols Directorate of the Abu Dhabi Police, in cooperation with the Integrated Transport Centre, announced.
“This includes Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Sheikh Khalifa Bridge, Mussafah Bridge and Al Maqtaa Bridge,” the Traffic and Patrols Directorate of the Abu Dhabi Police added, noting that the ban will be implemented from 7 am on Sunday, December 31, 2023, until 7 am on Monday, January 1, 2024.
“Exemptions from the ban include vehicles from public cleaning companies and logistical support,” added the Traffic and Patrols Directorate.
“Traffic patrols would be deployed across all roads and traffic surveillance would be intensified through smart systems in order to ensure traffic flow,” noted the Directorate. (ANI/WAM)
Part of the health service’s ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign, the tour is the latest NHS initiative to help drive earlier cancer diagnosis and tackle health inequalities, ultimately improving survival rates…reports Asian Lite News
An NHS double-decker bus will be touring the country from Monday, to help raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and to encourage people to visit their GP for potentially lifesaving checks if they have a symptom.
In partnership with Stagecoach, the UK’s largest bus and coach operator, the giant NHS blue bus specifically branded with an eye-catching design, will visit five areas across the country where early diagnosis rates for cancer are among the lowest.
Kicking off its tour, following World Cancer Day on Saturday, the bus will head to its first stop in Blackburn on Monday 6 February, before moving on to Sunderland, Barnsley, and Leicester and will complete its route in London on Friday 10 February.
From the bus and Stagecoach driver David Hunt, one of the company’s biggest charity fundraisers, to teams of NHS staff, alongside nurses from Cancer Research UK, will provide expert advice to help make passers-by aware of common cancer signs and symptoms, the importance of earlier diagnosis, and where they can go for support or further advice.
Part of the health service’s ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign, the tour is the latest NHS initiative to help drive earlier cancer diagnosis and tackle health inequalities, ultimately improving survival rates.
Thanks to these awareness-raising campaigns, more people than ever before have had potentially lifesaving NHS cancer checks, with over 2.8 million people seen last year – up by almost a fifth in the same period before the pandemic (2.35 million in 2018/19).
This has had a direct impact on the number of people diagnosed with cancer – with more than 320,000 people receiving treatment for cancer over the last year (Nov 2021 – Oct 2022) – the highest number on record, and up by more than 8,000 in the same period pre-pandemic.
The NHS is committed to its long-term plan to diagnose and treat cancers earlier. All GP teams now have direct access to potentially life-saving tests for patients – helping to cut waiting times and speeding up a cancer diagnosis for tens of thousands of patients or the all-clear for many more.
National Clinical Director for Cancer, Professor Peter Johnson, said, “We have seen a fantastic response to our Help Us, Help You cancer campaigns so far and are already seeing record levels of people coming forward for cancer checks, with thousands more people starting cancer treatment than in previous years.
“This bus tour is another example of how we are going further in our ambition to diagnose more cancers at an earlier stage than ever before, by engaging directly with people in their own communities as they are going about their daily routines.
“Trained staff will be on hand to discuss any concerns people may have about cancer symptoms and to inform them on what to look out for. It’s vitally important that people are aware of what is normal for their bodies and that when they notice something isn’t right, they feel empowered to come forward.”
NHS doctor Farzana Hussain said: “A key part of this new campaign is encouraging people to be aware of any changes in their body, and not to hold back from getting them checked. The NHS Bus-ting cancer tour is a great way of raising awareness about the signs and symptoms. I can only stress If you are worried that something in your body doesn’t feel right don’t let it play on your mind, contact your GP practise.”
After the tour, the bus will continue to operate a normal Stagecoach service in Manchester and will continue to carry the life-saving cancer messaging.
“We are really proud to be supporting this great cause and raise more awareness in checking for the early signs of cancer, Carla Stockton-Jones, UK Managing Director for Stagecoach said.
“Our services cover towns and cities right across the UK, so we were delighted to partner with the NHS in getting the message out to local communities. If we can prompt even one person to get checked by their GP, then it’s a worthwhile endeavour for us.
“Our ‘Giving for Good’ charity committee has supported numerous campaigns and charities throughout the year and it is always a pleasure to see these ideas come to fruition to help more people, including our valued customers and employees.”
Chief executive of Cancer Research UK, Michelle Mitchell says, “With the number of people in the UK diagnosed with cancer set to rise by a third by 2040, awareness campaigns such as this, and the commitment to invest in community diagnostics centres, are important to help ensure more cancers are diagnosed at their earliest stage – when people are more likely to survive their disease.
“Beating cancer means beating it for everyone and we are delighted our Cancer Research UK nurses are supporting this work to help make sure all those affected by cancer receive the care and outcomes they deserve.”
The NHS’s Help Us Help You campaign addresses the stigma and fears surrounding cancer, with recent surveys showing over half (53%) say they worry about cancer every few months or more.
It is not the first time the NHS has visited communities with lower early diagnosis rates for cancer, having more than doubled the number of community lung truck sites as part of our drive to catch more cancers at stage one or two.
More than 30,000 people are invited every month for a Lung MOT – with over one thousand (1,300) people diagnosed with lung cancer earlier, and more than three-quarters (77%) caught at either stage one or two.
BACKGROUND
The bus will be taking the below route:
o Monday 6 February – Blackburn (Town Hall Square 10am-4pm)
o Tuesday 7 February – Sunderland (Keel Square 10am-1.30pm, and Sunderland International Bangladeshi Centre 2pm-4pm)
o Wednesday 8 February – Barnsley (Barnsley Market 10am-4pm)
o Thursday 9 February – Leicester (Humberstone Gate 10am-1pm and Peepul Centre 2pm-4pm)
o Friday 10 February – North-East London (Meridian Square 10am-4pm)
10 must-visit destinations by bus.(photo:IANSLIFE)
Refuse to sleep on the bus with your buddies so that you can enjoy the breathtaking view of the Beas river in the middle of the road. Buses for this route begin from the ISBT in Shimla, and customers can simply book tickets online…reports Asian Lite News
While a mini traveller (minibus / tempo traveller) can take 6-10 cars off the road with 21 passengers, a full-size coach or bus with a capacity of 55 people roughly saves the need for 10 to 15 cars. This largely reduces the carbon footprint per passenger as buses usually emit less than half as much as these cars would be combined.
Travelling by bus can also be stress-free and typically relaxing, since it is economically viable, while also saving the travellers from the hassles of parking, paying tolls, and the stress of driving long distances, among others.
In an effort to raise awareness about the role of tourism in the international community and demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political, and economic values around the world, redBus shares a list of the top 10 bus routes that will help people reach these tourist destinations while minimizing their carbon footprint and also de-congesting the roads.
Mumbai to Panchgani
To escape the oppressive city heat, visit the Western Ghats’ luscious hills! The landscape changes every few km thanks to the journey’s hairpin bends at the ghats, vast highways, little villages, waterfalls, and forts. Bus travel from Mumbai to Panchgani takes roughly five hours.
Panchgani buses depart often from Mumbai. There are numerous private operators running buses between the two cities in addition to state-operated buses. Buses for different budgets are available, ranging from luxury to semi-luxury and economy. Buses towards Panchgani are best taken from Mumbai’s Nariman Point.
Pune to Mahabaleshwar
This is one of the most picturesque drives in Maharashtra and a must-do. The expressway offers a comfortable ride via the Satara Ghat and concludes after a three-hour journey. Make sure to get a glimpse outside when passing by this section of the highway for panoramic views of the Sahyadri mountains.
From the Pune Central bus station, several buses depart for Mahabaleshwar. However, there are pickups from many locations throughout the city, and passengers can select the most convenient option available on digital ticketing platforms.
Shimla to Manali
A 250-km trip towards the northeast of Shimla will take you to Manali, with the route passing through the majestic and rugged mountain range of the Himalayas. It takes 7-8 hours to reach Manali from Shimla, which also includes breaks for breakfast and lunch. The spectacular mountains on one side of the road and the lush green, deep valley on the other, make the entire Shimla to Manali drive, scenic and lovely.
Refuse to sleep on the bus with your buddies so that you can enjoy the breathtaking view of the Beas river in the middle of the road. Buses for this route begin from the ISBT in Shimla, and customers can simply book tickets online.
Delhi to Leh
Leh is one of the most sought-after destinations in India, making it unquestionably a bucket list location for practically all tourists. However, this route is one of the world’s highest, and most difficult motorable freeways. This bus trip will take you from the comfortable plains of Delhi to the chilly heights of Leh via Chandigarh, Kullu, Manali, and Keylong. The driver and the passengers’ mettle will be put to test not only by the menacing temperature variations but also by the gruelling altitude.
The bus ride concludes after 1100 kilometers and 40 hours of heart-wrenching desolate environment, but for the passengers, it only requires that you pack your bags and board a bus at ISBT Delhi.
Guwahati to Tawang
Guwahati to Tawang is one of the most beautiful and adventurous routes across India, this rather long trip will set you back by roughly 21 hours but considering the snow-covered mountains and picture-perfect landscapes, it all seems worth it.
To reach Tawang from Guwahati one must change buses from Tezpur, after which It takes about 12 hours to reach Tawang. Buses are available throughout the route with a plethora of options to choose from. Booking for the same is available online
Visakhapatnam to Araku valley
Lying 111 km west of Visakhapatnam city is Araku valley, surrounded by the thick forests of the Eastern Ghats mountain range. When in Araku valley one must visit the Tribal Museum which is dedicated to the area’s numerous indigenous tribes, known for their traditional Dhimsa dance.
The journey from Visakhapatnam to Araku is smoothly covered by a bus in four hours. The first bus from Visakhapatnam to Araku starts at 05:00 AM and the Last bus leaves from Visakhapatnam at 02:15 PM operated by APSRTC.
Bangalore to Coorg
Coorg is the way to go if you are on the lookout for a road trip from the busy life and schedule of an IT professional in Bangalore. The picturesque Coorg region, in the southern state of Karnataka, is well-known for its verdant green scenery and breathtaking mountain views.
The bus ride from Bangalore to Coorg is convenient and takes about 5 hours and 30 minutes. The alternatives available to travelers are numerous and include Volvos and non-AC buses. Additionally, visitors have the choice to purchase their tickets online and offline.
Bengaluru to Ooty
There are several things about Ooty that are well known. Beautiful woodlands and famous botanical gardens, in addition to misty streams and waterfalls. Additionally, Ooty is also known for its chocolates. This is where you should ideally go when in Bangalore, searching for a fun-filled yet peaceful getaway.
Depending on road conditions, it will take you six to seven hours to travel the distance. There are numerous bus operators with regular services from Bangalore. Tickets for such tours would roughly cost 900 INR, however, travellers can optimise their expenditure by booking tickets online and ahead of time. Jaipur to Jaisalmer
This bus tour highlights the best of Rajasthan. Smooth highways define the eight-hour ride. Keep your eyes and ears open, and refrain from sleeping because you will almost certainly spot a couple of peacocks and elephants on this journey! The trip is made more enjoyable by well-kept roads and a variety of dining alternatives.
There are numerous buses that run between Jaipur and Jaisalmer. There are also numerous pickup points throughout Jaipur, and tickets for this route can be purchased online.
Mumbai to Gokarna
Mumbai to Goa has to be one of the most popular routes throughout the year in India, needless to say, the entire state is famous for its beaches and easy-going culture that brings in high demand and traffic. However, if you wish to see isolated beaches and beautiful trek routes, Gokarna is an amazing option.
There are various options to travel to Gokarna, with the bus being the most flexible and stress-free. The bus routes pass by the western ghats, making it a well-rounded trip with scenic views and empty pollution-free beaches.
Mayor outlines details of TfL fare changes from March 2022. Fares will rise by RPI+1 (4.8 per cent) overall on 1 March 2022 to help TfL reach financial sustainability. Tube pay as you go fares within Zone 1 will increase by 10p – their first increase since 2016. Bus and tram ‘Hopper’ fare – introduced by the Mayor and allowing unlimited journeys within an hour – will increase by 10p to £1.65.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has outlined details of the fare changes required for TfL services from 1 March 2022, following conditions set in the short-term extension of TfL’s funding agreement with the Government.
Mayor said these changes to fares will help ensure that TfL can reach financial sustainability by April 2023 in line with the long-term objective of the funding agreements, while also ensuring the increase in fares is as affordable as possible for Londoners.
This is only the second time that TfL controlled fares have increased since 2016, after Sadiq froze fares between 2016 and 2021. In the eight years prior to 2016, under the previous Mayor, TfL fares increased regularly and ultimately surged by more than 42 per cent.
While the overall level of fares set by TfL will increase by an equivalent of RPI+1, some individual Tube fares will increase by more or less than that amount owing to rules stating that increases can only be made by 10p increments. Tube fares solely within Zone 1 will increase for the first time in six years, from £2.40 to £2.50. Passengers who travel greater distances on TfL services will see a slight increase to further bring them in line with nearby National Rail fares. However, these increases are still significantly below what any cumulative increase would have been had fares been raised in line with inflation over the last six years.
While single pay as you go fares on Tube, DLR and most TfL-run rail services will increase by RPI+1, bus and tram single fares will increase by 10p to £1.65, and the daily cap will increase by 30p to £4.95, the same price as three single journeys. As rail revenue is significantly higher than bus and tram revenue, and TfL has budgeted for fares to rise by RPI+1 overall to reach financial sustainability in line with the funding agreements, bus and tram fares will need to increase by the equivalent of RPI+2.7 per cent to achieve the overall rise.
The ‘Hopper’ fare, which was introduced by the Mayor in September 2016, remains in place and will continue to provide meaningful savings for Londoners in offering unlimited bus and tram travel within an hour for the price of a single fare. Since it was introduced, more than 600 million Hopper fare journeys have been. Sadiq has taken action to ensure that all current concessions, including free travel for young people under the age of 18 and discounts for students, apprentices and those on certain benefits also remain in place.
“Public transport should be affordable to all, and I’ve taken bold action to ensure this since I became Mayor by introducing the unlimited Hopper bus fare and freezing all TfL fares from 2016-2021 – saving the average London household over £200,” said the mayor.
“Since TfL’s finances were decimated by the pandemic, the Government has set strict conditions as part of the emergency funding deals to keep essential transport services running in London. We have been forced into this position by the Government and the way it continues to refuse to properly fund TfL, but I have done everything in my power to keep fares as affordable as possible.”
Shashi Verma, Director of Strategy at TfL said: “This fares package aims to keep fares as affordable as possible while still ensuring TfL can continue to run clean, green and safe services and support London’s continued economic recovery. Through daily and weekly capping, as well as the Hopper fare and our wide range of concessions, passengers can continue to get the best value fare by using pay as you go with contactless and Oyster.”
Parents of these children are very poor and belong to labour class like rickshaw puller, household worker and rag-picker etc…reports Mohammad Suaib Khan
Eight-year-old Nirmal has started thinking about his career and now he is very serious about studies. “I want to be a police officer,” he said, talking about his future plan sitting in a moving classroom in a bus.
Not only Nirmal, several underprivileged children who were deprived of the studies now join him in the ‘Classroom Bus’ for study.
Every day four buses that have been converted into moving classrooms ply on Delhi’s roads to provide education to the children living in slums. These buses aim to provide education to such children who have not been to schools.
Presently, about 50 children are studying in these classroom buses and most of them are rag-pickers. These four buses go to different locations in Delhi for this nobel cause.
There is a driver, a helper and two teachers in every bus. A black board is installed in the bus and children are also provided with slate and chalk. Besides, food is also available for children.
Non-government organisation ‘Tejasia’ has named these vehicles “Hope Buses”. Tejasia is involved in social works since last 10 years and it has taken responsibilities of these children.
This project was started many years ago with a single bus and now the number has reached to four.
A team of the NGO does survey of a particular area to find out if number of children who need to be educated are more. Then a bus is sent to that area. Presently, the buses are visiting eight such locations in the national capital. In the last several years, many children who studied in these buses got enrolled in government schools.
Besides basic education, the children also learn social etiquette — like how to live, talk or behave.
Ebna Edwin, working with the NGO, said, “We are teaching children in Kamala Nagar, a colony in R.K. Puram and Gurugram.”
It starts at 9 a.m., the bus reaches all the locations in an hour, after which a class is held from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
After that the same bus goes to another location to teach other children from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
According to the NGO, 80 per cent of the children are those who have never attended school. There are also some children who are school drop-outs.
Parents of these children are very poor and belong to labour class like rickshaw puller, household worker and rag-picker etc.
Though there is a small school in addition to the bus, but due to Covid, it is closed these days.
About 40 volunteers are associated with this NGO, while about 900 children have been provided education so far. There are more than 20 teaching teams.
Teachers prepare children for admission in government schools. The NGO also helps children in getting the documents for the admission.
Interestingly, the teaching teams also include teachers who lost their jobs due to Covid and now they work with the NGO on a token amount.
The Mayor on Wednesday visited Perivale bus depot in Ealing to see the new hydrogen double decker and new hydrogen refuelling station…reports Asian Lite News.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched England’s first ever hydrogen double decker buses, marking a major step towards making the bus fleet zero-emission and cleaning up London’s toxic air.
The 20 new environmentally-friendly buses, the first of their kind to be launched in England, will produce no pollution from their exhausts and join more than 500 electric buses in the core fleet which are already zero-emission.
The new hydrogen fuel cell double decker buses are first being introduced on route 7 between East Acton and Oxford Circus.
Hydrogen used in a fuel cell is free from harmful emissions. The only by-product is water from the chemical reaction of hydrogen with oxygen from air, a process that produces electricity to power the bus
🚏 London's first double-decker hydrogen buses have landed! These 20 new hydrogen fuel cell buses will further reduce harmful emissions to help ensure Londoners breathe cleaner air. #LetLondonBreathehttps://t.co/inp7DDQ6Xl
— LDNMayor Environment (@LDN_environment) June 23, 2021
The buses will help clean up the air and improve the health of Londoners by reducing the level of harmful nitrogen oxide in the air. Passengers will benefit from smoother, quieter journeys due to fewer vibrations and will be able to take advantage of free-to-use USB charging points.
A new, state of the art fuelling station completed by Danish engineering firm Nel Hydrogen will top up each hydrogen fuel cell bus just once per day in as little as five minutes.
The Mayor on Wednesday visited Perivale bus depot in Ealing to see the new hydrogen double decker and new hydrogen refuelling station.
He said, “Our investment in these hydrogen buses is not only helping us to clean up London’s air, but is supporting jobs and local economics across the UK. This is a great demonstration of how tackling air pollution and the climate crisis and boosting economic growth is about regions working together, investing in the very latest technology.”
“I’ve worked hard to ensure TfL’s entire core bus fleet across London now meets the ULEZ standards, and this includes 500 electric buses. Our new investment in hydrogen buses will move us even closer to our ambition of making all London buses zero-emission by 2030,” he added.
In addition to around £6 million of funding from TfL, more than £5 million of funding has been provided by European bodies – by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, and the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), an executive agency of the European Commission – as well as £1 million from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles.
TfL has paved the way for cheaper hydrogen buses across the rest of the UK, having led the UK procurement within the Joint Initiative for Hydrogen Vehicles across Europe (JIVE), to buy in bulk with other UK authorities.
