ARGENTINA: Privatised Railways – a Timebomb

A riot by commuters enraged over delays, who destroyed part of the busiest train station in Buenos Aires, has drawn attention to the profound crisis afflicting Argentina's privatised railways, which have severe shortcomings despite the huge subsidies they receive from the state.

TRANSPORT-CUBA: ‘Camels’ Fade into the Sunset

"Camellos" or camels, a form of urban transport that arose at the worst point of Cuba's economic crisis in the 1990s, appear fated to disappear from the centre of Havana, to the relief of residents and the benefit of the environment.

ENVIRONMENT-BRAZIL: Hybrid Electric Vehicles – Better Than Ethanol

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are the best way to achieve a drastic reduction in greenhouse gases produced by vehicle exhaust fumes, until hydrogen-powered models become viable. They are even more environmentally-friendly than the use of biofuels.

CHILE: Transantiago Shakes Up Transport and Politics

A new public transportation system that was intended to curb air pollution in the Chilean capital and improve quality of life has prompted hundreds of protests and the worst crisis yet for the administration of Michelle Bachelet. But what is it about the controversial Transantiago project that doesn't work?

BRAZIL: Continued Turbulence Ahead in Air Traffic Crisis

Brazil's air transport crisis, caused by an air traffic controllers' strike, is not yet over. The crisis has also opened up two additional battle fronts for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva: discontent among the military, and the looming threat of a parliamentary inquiry.

MALAYSIA: State to Run City Buses as Privatisation Fails

A state-owned bus company is set to take over public transport in this traffic-clogged northern state after a concerted civil society campaign highlighted the failure of the existing privatised, deregulated bus service.

TRANSPORT-EL SALVADOR: Your Money or Your Life

Bus drivers and conductors are being targeted by extortionists and murderers in El Salvador. Lack of security, which also afflicts other trades, has become a profitable business opportunity for criminals and police alike.

TRANSPORT-CHILE: Transantiago – Ready for Take-Off?

A new public transport system will start operating this Saturday in the Chilean capital, aimed at improving quality of life and curbing air pollution. But its success depends on overcoming infrastructure problems and the difficulty of changing entrenched cultural habits.

NIGERIA: Oil-Hungry China to Help Revamp Railway

China is extending a hand into the Nigerian transport sector in a deal to help the Nigerian government put back on track the country's foundering railway system.

URUGUAY-ARGENTINA: Roadblock Ruling Heats Up Pulp Mill Dispute

In the wake of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict that was unexpectedly favourable to Argentina in its pulp mill dispute with Uruguay, the two countries are now reworking their strategies, pinning their hopes on the Spanish facilitator who arrives in the region Friday.

POLITICS: U.N. Move to Downgrade Disarmament Triggers Protests

A proposal by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to downgrade the U.N.'s Department of Disarmament Affairs (DDA) - and possibly bring it under the umbrella of the Department of Political Affairs - has sparked a critical reaction from member states, peace activists and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

BRAZIL: Tourism Industry Fears Summer-long Crisis in Airports

The southern hemisphere summer, which begins this month, is expected to be fraught with tension in Brazil's tourism industry given the possibility of a worsening of the crisis facing the country's airports, right when passenger travel is at its peak.

UAE: Traditional Dubai Water Transport Turns Eco-Friendly

Traditional water taxis, known here as abras, have plied the waters of Dubai Creek for decades, ferrying passengers and carrying cargo from one bank to another. Originally rowboats, the abras now speed along, propelled by diesel engines. But not for long. These symbols of Dubai culture will soon ride the green wave to become more eco-friendly.

ENVIRONMENT-CHINA: Afflicted by Automobile Addiction

On a recent 'Car Free Day' in Beijing, the capital was clogged with vehicles and the sky a drab shade of grey. The sheer number of cars on the roads had made a mockery of the city initiative to make dwellers ride their bicycles or use the public transport.

TRANSPORT-SOUTH AFRICA: The Colour of 2010 Is Green

Take to the roads in South Africa, and chances are you'll be confronted with an obstacle course that includes mind-numbing congestion, close shaves with speeding drivers, and the fog of exhaust fumes.

LATIN AMERICA: Jewish Communities Ratchet Up Complaints of Anti-Semitism

Every time armed conflict flares up in the Middle East, Israeli embassies and Jewish communities around the world step up their efforts in defence of the Israeli cause, regularly accusing the press, or governments that criticise Israel's foreign policy, of anti-Semitism.

TRANSPORT-SOUTH AFRICA: Putting the Brake on “Mobile Coffins”

South Africa is phasing out ageing and ill-maintained minibus taxis to pave the way for new, and hopefully safer, vehicles. Minibuses are a common means of transport in the country, where they serve between seven and nine million passengers a day, according to the Department of Transport.

DEVELOPMENT-PAKISTAN: Expressway to Nowhere for Displaced People

Munira has skipped going to work because she is waiting in a queue for the municipal tanker to bring water to the residents of Taiser Town, a vast new settlement of 95,000 people, many of them displaced when their homes were demolished to make way for the Lyari Expressway in Pakistan's commercial capital.

DEVELOPMENT-KENYA: From Petrol Power to Pedal Power

Minibus taxis, referred to as "matatus", have long been a ubiquitous feature of the Kenyan landscape, providing transport in cities - and linking urban and rural areas.

BRAZIL: Proliferation of Motorcycles and Health Risks

The continued expansion of Brazil's motorcycle industry over the past 13 years has polluted the air of the major cities and increased the number of traffic accidents, which kill 30,000 Brazilians a year and send more than 100,000 to hospitals.

TRANSPORT: Trans-Asian Highway to Prosperity

Though incomplete, the Trans-Asia Highway (TAH), conceived by countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) and supported by the Asian Development Bank (AsDB), is already proving its economic benefits and capacity to dramatically transform the region.