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Syrian opposition to attend peace conference
Syrian opposition to attend peace conference (AP) / 19 January 2014 The Syrian National Coalition’s media office said that of 73 voters, 58 voted in favour of attending the conference. The main, western-backed Syrian opposition group voted on Saturday in favour of attending next week’s peace conference aimed at ending the country’s bloody civil war. The Syrian National Coalition’s media office said that of 73 voters, 58 voted in favour of attending the conference. It added that 14 voted against, two abstained and one placed a blank ballot. The coalition was under huge pressure from its Western and Arab sponsors to attend the peace talks, scheduled to open on Wednesday in the Swiss city of Montreux. The Syrian government has already said it will attend the UN-sponsored talks. It will be the first face-to-face meeting between the representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition since the country’s crisis began in March 2011, killing more than 100,000 people and displacing millions. The US and Russia have been trying to hold the peace conference since last year and it has been repeatedly delayed. Both sides finally agreed to sit together on the negotiations table after dropping some of their conditions. The aim of the conference, dubbed Geneva 2, is to agree on a roadmap for Syria based on one adopted by the US, Russia and other major powers in June 2012. That plan includes the creation of a transitional government and eventual elections. One of the main demands of the opposition was that President Bashar Al Assad agrees to step down before going to the conference. With his government troops keeping their momentum on the ground, Assad’s government has said he will not surrender power and may run again in elections due in mid-2014. Many coalition members were hesitant to attend a conference that has little chance of success and will burn the last shred of credibility the group has with powerful rebels on the ground, who reject the talks. Many members boycotted the Istanbul meetings that began on Friday, forcing the coalition’s legal committee to approve the decision in a simple majority vote. The coalition’s media office said the group’s leader, Ahmad Al Jarba, will give a speech “to the Syrian people” later Saturday. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
‘Park and Ride’ to ease traffic on Capital roads
‘Park and Ride’ to ease traffic on Capital roads Staff Reporter / 19 January 2014 The initiative allows commuters to park their vehicles outside the city and travel within the city in buses free of charge. In order to tackle the ever-increasing vehicular traffic in the capital, the Department of Transport (DoT) has rolled out a ‘Park and Ride’ initiative, allowing commuters to park their vehicles outside the city and travel within the city in buses free of charge. The DoT said the scheme has been designed for motorists coming from Abu Dhabi’s suburbs and other emirates, as they can park their vehicle for free in the 600 parking bays available at Zayed Sports City, and commute free of charge for unlimited times on the same day to various areas in Abu Dhabi. A bus shuttle service launched from Zayed Sports City will see a bus travel every 15 minutes at peak hours and every 30 minutes at normal hours of the day. The initially free service for car parking at Zayed Sports City and commuting to and from the city is available from 6am till 8.30pm, Sunday to Thursday. Special tickets are available at the booth on site at Zayed Sports City. The ticket, which will be free to the driver and a maximum three passengers of the vehicle, is valid for one full day and can be used for unlimited bus journeys in Abu Dhabi. The aim of the Park and Ride scheme is to enable drivers to park their vehicles for free in a safe and secure environment while continuing the rest of their journey on the public transport network. It has many advantages such as reducing parking demands downtown; reducing road congestion and the need to build more road capacity; minimising environmental impacts; and reducing costs for motorists’ fuel. Director of the DoT’s Integrated Transport Planning (ITP) Badr Al Qamzi, said: “Park and Ride is one of the key strategic initiatives undertaken by the DoT in 2012 in the Corniche area as a pilot project to enable a larger number of motorists to park their vehicles and continue their journey to other parts of the city for free. Finding a parking space for their vehicles or arriving at a certain time can consume a lot of time and efforts, especially in congested areas downtown. The availability of Wifi (free internet) on board Park and Ride public transport buses ensures an added value to commuters.” news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
NCMS urges caution: Unstable weather forecast
NCMS urges caution: Unstable weather forecast 19 January 2014 Unstable weather will persist over the next few days in the UAE. Residents enjoying the weather during the rain in Dubai — KT Photo by Shihab The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) are advising caution on the road and in the sea over the coming days. Different parts of the country received light to moderate scattered showers on Saturday and on Sunday morning. NCMS said poor weather conditions were likely to continue, and advised people not to go out into the sea and asked motorists to take precautions while driving due to poor visibility caused by dust and sand storms. The centre also warned motorists to avoid valleys during rainfall. Resident covers himself during the rain in Dubai. KT photo by Rahul Gajjar Unstable weather will persist over the country tomorrow and it will be partly cloudy to cloudy in general over most areas. Some areas will see thunder and showers. Temperatures are also expected to dip during the daytime. The sea will continue to be rough on Monday, and the weather will be cloudy to partly cloudy, with a probability of some rain, especially in the northern and eastern areas. Clouds will decrease gradually by afternoon. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
