Microwaves

Microwaves are very short waves of electromagnetic energy that travel at the speed of light (186,282 miles per second). Microwaves used in microwave ovens are in the same family of frequencies as the signals used in radio and television broadcasting. The theory of electromagnetic energy can be illustrated by what happens when a pebble is tossed into a quiet pond. The pebble striking the still surface causes the water to move up and down in...

Read More

EU transport must be 50% more efficient by 2050, says Joris Al

A country’s transport system is the “conveyor belt” of any economy, said Forum of European Highway Research Laboratories (FEHRL) president Joris Al on Monday.Speaking at the Southern African Transport Conference, held in Pretoria, the Dutch citizen noted that a strong economy required an “affordable, acceptable and available – and available soon – transport system”.“In the Netherlands the public is quite impatient with any failure in the transport system.”Al said that modern day transport systems moved more freight and passengers over longer distances,...

Read More

Africa needs $360bn basic infrastructure investment over 25 years

Africa required an estimated $360-billion to implement basic regional backbone infrastructure across the continent by 2040, said African Development Bank (AfDB) manager of regional integration and trade Ralph Olaye on Tuesday.The implementation of sufficient African infrastructure, which was previously stated to be the least developed in the world, would increase the continent’s lagging competiveness in the global economy and lower the cost of doing business.Speaking at the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) inaugural Infrastructure...

Read More

Solutions on GFIP need exploration – Motlanthe

The best possible solutions needed to be explored for the implementation of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said in Johannesburg on Friday."There should be no overburdening of poor people with added cost," Motlanthe said in opening remarks at a meeting between the inter-ministerial committee on the GFIP and the Congress of SA Trade Unions.However the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), which oversees the project, needed capital to fund its operation.There were grey areas requiring attention...

Read More

Uganda looks to raise about $1bn for roads

The Ugandan government is looking to raise nearly $1-billion through contractor-financing arrangements to enable the east African country to build 1 900 km of roads, a senior official said on Wednesday.Traditionally Uganda has relied on direct budgetary allocations to fund infrastructure developments but scant tax revenues have meant the country's road network remains poor, stifling growth in east Africa's third largest economy.Ugandan officials say the lack of basic infrastructure and a persistent power crisis has hindered the growth potential...

Read More

No use for truck, bus speed limits if not enforced, says research study

There is no reliable evidence of the safety benefits of buses and heavy trucks having lower speeds limits to adhere to than passenger cars, suggests new research by the Stellenbosch University (SU).In 1999, following a fatal bus collision involving British tourists, the then Minister of Transport reduced the maximum speed limit for public transport vehicles (buses and minibus taxis) to 100 km/h. Heavy vehicles were already limited to 80 km/h.SU civil engineering professor Christo Bester says there are a number of safety-related reasons why different...

Read More

The costs and benefits of SA’s toll-road outrage debated

There are many reasons the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) is against the tolling of Gauteng’s freeways, says chairperson Wayne Duvenage, one of these being what the alliance believes has been a lack of consultation on the project.“If you get 28 responses out of millions of people in Gauteng, then the consultation process was a complete failure. “None of us were aware of what was happening,” he notes.“We saw in 2006 that some tolling strategy was put forward, but when the decision was taken, none of us knew a thing. “The South African...

Read More

Durban rolls out e-ticketing bus solution

A new electronic ticketing solution was officially launched in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday, offering commuters using People Mover and Durban Transport buses throughout eThekwini as cashless experience.KwaZulu-Natal Transport member of the executive council Willies Mchunu, who presided over the function, said the deployment of the MasterCard Muvo card formed part of the city’s plans for integrated rapid public transport networks.The card is supported by Standard Bank and has been delivered by its innovation arm Beyond Payments and transport information...

Read More

As bus rapid transit systems are rolled out, some efficiency questions linger

Johannesburg has one and so does Cape Town. Port Elizabeth almost had one, Rustenburg is planning one, and Tshwane may finally roll out one after a delay of several years.Bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, although they may go by different names in different cities, are high-volume bus systems making use of dedicated traffic lanes and stations.The pre-2010 soccer World Cup period saw a big push for these public transport systems to be developed in all South Africa’s major metropoles, but this effort largely failed. To date, there are only two systems...

Read More

Samsung Galaxy S III (global)

Info Reviews Shop News Forum  6 Samsung's global flagship for 2012 sports a full complement of high-end features in a compact, rounded body. Key features include a large 4.8-inch display fronted by curved glass, an 8-megapixel camera that can record HD video and stills at the same time, NFC, advanced voice control, and the first memory card slot supporting up to 64 GB.This phone is not currently available from any major U.S. carrier. It is...

Read More