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Bosnian motorways company Autoputevi RS claims that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has expressed readiness to approve a € 350 million loan for the construction of the 46.6km long part of the Corridor Vc motorway, from Doboj to Vukosavlje. The project is set to be carried out through what has been described as a public and private partnership model.

St. Petersburg's transport companies are opposing the increase of transport tax on over 187 kW capacity trucks. They say that tax rate increase, together with other fiscal measures, will render them profitless. As a result, they may adopt shadow business practices, decrease the number of local drivers in favour of cheaper foreign labour force, and transfer their business to a new jurisdiction.

The New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB) in Malaysia may be up for sale following a newspaper advertisement placed by the liquidators, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Advisory Services. The advertisement invites qualified investors to send an expression of interest to buy the assets and concession rights to multi-lane dual carriageway. Lebuhraya Shapadu secured a concession deal in 1995 to operate the 17.5km highway for 25 years.

An additional 200 road surveillance cameras a year are to be introduced by Shanghai city traffic police in a bid to catch law breaking motorists. Police say over 1,900 sets of cameras are currently used to enforce road laws in the eastern China city.

The Brazilian haulage sector is in the process of adjusting to a new bill set to come into force soon that will regulate compulsory driver resting periods. Law 12.619 means drivers must have a minimum resting period of 30 minutes for every four hours on the road. In addition, they must stop for one hour at lunch time, and they need to rest 11 hours for every 24 hours worked.

In China's Xinjiang region, the G30 Sailimu Lake-Wusu highway renovation and the Kashgar-Aksu highway construction projects have been approved by the regional authority. The 301km Sailimu Lake-Wusu highway renovation is scheduled for completion by the end of October 2013, following an investment of US $ 631.05 million.

More citizens in Gothenburg, Sweden are opposed rather than for the congestion charge set to be introduced in the city in 2013. According to the most recent survey, 55% of people are against the congestion charge and 35% are for it. The remaining 10%, of the 501 survey participants said they were still to make up their mind on the issue.

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Network road pricing is inevitable to manage increasing congestion on city motorways and to facilitate more efficient transport networks, says Transurban chief executive Scott Charlton. In a speech to the Infrastructure Partnerships Australia’s annual conference in Melbourne, Charlton urged governments to use every lever possible from user charges to diverse funding sources to innovative solutions such as tolled express lanes.

More citizens in Gothenburg, Sweden are opposed rather than for the congestion charge set to be introduced in the city in 2013. According to the most recent survey, 55% of people are against the congestion charge and 35% are for it. The remaining 10%, of the 501 survey participants said they were still to make up their mind on the issue.

Both in Thailand and Morocco the authorities are looking separately at ways in which road safety can be improved. The two countries face similar problems with regard to road safety and have, independently, embarked on similar paths with a view to resolving the issue. Morocco’s Works and Transport Ministry is setting up a think tank that will attempt to tackle the country’s growing rate of road fatalities.

Strong interest is being shown in the construction sector in Chile for the project to build the Chacao Bridge. The tender process is due to open in the first half of 2013 and a large number of contractors, over 30, have already acquired terms and conditions of the works package. The construction project is expected to cost US$740 million.

Plans are in hand in Israel to widen a 21km stretch of the Road 6 highway and strong interest has been shown in the tender process. Also known as the Cross-Israel Highway and the Yitzhak Rabin Highway, Road 6 is a major transport artery for the country. The construction work required would be for widening of sections 3 and 7 of Road 6 and the project is worth US$880.6 million and also includes a 35 year concession to operate the route.

Malaysia-based UEM Group has been invited to bid for the contract to build the 22km long Temburong bridge in Brunei, according to company chairman, Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali. The UEM Group is already constructing the 24km long second Penang bridge, of which 16km is over water. Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali said UEM Group would also aim to finish the 4,000 housing development in Kampung Mentiri by 2014.