عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

TGA Public Transport Project in Tabuk Entails 25% Electric Buses

TGA Public Transport Project in Tabuk Entails 25% Electric Buses
TT
20
TT

TGA Public Transport Project in Tabuk Entails 25% Electric Buses

TGA Public Transport Project in Tabuk Entails 25% Electric Buses

The Transport General Authority (TGA) has introduced the Kingdom's first public transport project, featuring clean energy-powered buses in Tabuk city.
The project entails introducing 25% eco-friendly electric buses.
The event was inaugurated by Governor of Tabuk Region Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz; attending was Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, SPA reported.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, TGA General Manager Dr. Rayan AlHazmi said that the public bus transportation project in Tabuk aims to enhance infrastructure and improve the region residents' quality of life, SPA reported.

The environment-friendly electric buses run on clean energy, in a first in the Kingdom. With four lanes, 30 buses and 106 designated bus stops, the project provides efficient public transportation services for Tabuk's residents and visitors; they operate 18 hours a day.
Breaking down the project, AlHazmi said that a lane covers 34.5 km and has 30 stops; it passes through key locations like the University of Tabuk, Saudi Post and Saudia Airlines. Another lane is 43.8 km long and includes 27 stops; it passes through the military city, airport and King Khalid Military City's Northern Area Armed Forces Hospital. A third lane extends over 21.7 km, has 27 stops, and passes through locations such as the Emirate of Tabuk region, Eid prayer hall, King Khalid Hospital and the central park. The fourth lane, stretching over 28.1 km and having 22 stops, services locations such as Park Mall, Al-Muruj District Park, and the University of Tabuk's Eastern Gate.
AlHazmi emphasized that through this project, the authority aims to improve safety and the quality of life, make transportation more convenient and reduce traffic congestion in Tabuk. It also focuses on creating job opportunities, lowering carbon emission and combating environmental pollution, in line with the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services.

Most Viewed

 
Varieties

Belgian Teens Arrested with 5,000 Smuggled Ants as Kenya Warns of Changing Trafficking Trends 

Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx look on during the hearing of their case after they pleaded guilty to illegal possession and trafficking of garden ants, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts, in Nairobi, Kenya April 15, 2025. (Reuters)
Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx look on during the hearing of their case after they pleaded guilty to illegal possession and trafficking of garden ants, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts, in Nairobi, Kenya April 15, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Belgian Teens Arrested with 5,000 Smuggled Ants as Kenya Warns of Changing Trafficking Trends 

Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx look on during the hearing of their case after they pleaded guilty to illegal possession and trafficking of garden ants, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts, in Nairobi, Kenya April 15, 2025. (Reuters)
Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx look on during the hearing of their case after they pleaded guilty to illegal possession and trafficking of garden ants, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts, in Nairobi, Kenya April 15, 2025. (Reuters)

Two Belgian teenagers were charged Tuesday with wildlife piracy after they were found with thousands of ants packed in test tubes in what Kenyan authorities said was part of a trend in trafficking smaller and lesser known species.

Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, two 19-year-olds who were arrested on April 5 with 5,000 ants at a guest house, appeared distraught during their appearance before a magistrate in Nairobi and were comforted in the courtroom by relatives. They told the magistrate they were collecting the ants for fun and did not know that it was illegal.

In a separate criminal case, Kenyan Dennis Ng’ang’a and Vietnamese Duh Hung Nguyen also were charged with illegal trafficking in the same courtroom, following their arrest while in possession of 400 ants.

The Kenya Wildlife Service said the four men were involved in trafficking the ants to markets in Europe and Asia, and that the species included messor cephalotes, a distinctive, large and red-colored harvester ant native to East Africa.

The illegal export of the ants "not only undermines Kenya’s sovereign rights over its biodiversity but also deprives local communities and research institutions of potential ecological and economic benefits," KWS said in a statement.

Kenya has in the past fought against the trafficking of body parts of larger species of wild animals such as elephants, rhinos and pangolins among others. But the cases against the four men represent "a shift in trafficking trends — from iconic large mammals to lesser-known yet ecologically critical species," KWS said.

The two Belgians were arrested in Kenya’s Nakuru county, which is home to various national parks. The 5,000 ants were found in a guest house where they were staying, and were packed in 2,244 test tubes that had been filled with cotton wool to enable the ants to survive for months.

The other two men were arrested in Nairobi where they were found to have 400 ants in their apartments.

Kenyan authorities valued the ants at 1 million shillings ($7,700). The prices for ants can vary greatly according to the species and the market.

Philip Muruthi, a vice president for conservation at the Africa Wildlife Foundation in Nairobi, said ants play the role of enriching soils, enabling germination and providing food for species such as birds.

"The thing is, when you see a healthy forest, like Ngong forest, you don’t think about what is making it healthy. It is the relationships all the way from the bacteria to the ants to the bigger things," he said.

Muruthi warned of the risk of trafficking species and exporting diseases to the agricultural industry of the destination countries.

"Even if there is trade, it should be regulated and nobody should be taking our resources just like that," he said.