Royal Commission for Riyadh City Launches Stage 4 of Bus Service

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has announced the launch of Stage 4 of the “riyadh bus” service. SPA
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has announced the launch of Stage 4 of the “riyadh bus” service. SPA
TT

Royal Commission for Riyadh City Launches Stage 4 of Bus Service

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has announced the launch of Stage 4 of the “riyadh bus” service. SPA
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has announced the launch of Stage 4 of the “riyadh bus” service. SPA

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has announced the launch of Stage 4 of the “riyadh bus” service, part of the King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport (KAPT) network, which aims to provide world-class public transportation options to the residents and visitors of Riyadh and connect the capital’s neighborhoods and commercial clusters.

The service has operated approximately 631,000 trips transporting over 6 million passengers since its launch earlier this year.

Stage 4 of “riyadh bus” will expand the service to reach 40 routes covered by 614 buses that serve 1,632 bus stations and stops, covering 70% of the 1,900 kilometers length of the network.

Connecting new localities and neighborhoods in the city of Riyadh, seven new routes have been added in stage 4.

The "riyadh bus" service is supported by an online portal -- www.riyadhbus.sa -- offering a variety of options for passengers to learn more about the service, the bus routes, and ticket options.

Passengers can also access services, including trip planning, through the "choose your destination" feature, track the trip through the interactive map, and buy tickets through the “riyadh bus” app that can be downloaded from Apple and Google stores.



New Zealanders Save More Than 30 Stranded Whales by Lifting Them on Sheets

Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS
TT

New Zealanders Save More Than 30 Stranded Whales by Lifting Them on Sheets

Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS

More than 30 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a beach in New Zealand were safely returned to the ocean after conservation workers and residents helped to refloat them by lifting them on sheets. Four of the pilot whales died, New Zealand’s conservation agency said.
New Zealand is a whale stranding hotspot and pilot whales are especially prolific stranders.
A team was monitoring Ruakākā Beach near the city of Whangārei in New Zealand’s north on Monday to ensure there were no signs of the whales saved Sunday stranding again, the Department of Conservation told The Associated Press. The agency praised as “incredible” the efforts made by hundreds of people to help save the foundering pod.
“It’s amazing to witness the genuine care and compassion people have shown toward these magnificent animals,” Joel Lauterbach, a Department of Conservation spokesperson, said in a statement. “This response demonstrates the deep connection we all share with our marine environment.”
A Māori cultural ceremony for the three adult whales and one calf that died in the stranding took place on Monday. New Zealand’s Indigenous people consider whales a taonga — a sacred treasure — of cultural significance.
New Zealand has recorded more than 5,000 whale strandings since 1840. The largest pilot whale stranding was of an estimated 1,000 whales at the Chatham Islands in 1918, according to the Department of Conservation.
It's often not clear why strandings happen but the island nation's geography is believed to be a factor. Both the North and South Islands feature stretches of protruding coastline with shallow, sloping beaches that can confuse species such as pilot whales — which rely on echolocation to navigate.