The Public Bus Transportation Project in Makkah started the second phase of trial operation on Tuesday. The second phase includes routes 6, 7, and 12, which link the Central Area, Haramain Express Train, and Um Al-Qura University, extending to Al-Buhairat area. The new routes are expected to serve visitors of the holy city on a larger scale. The trial operation of the first phase of the project began in mid-February. The bus network in Makkah city is distributed over 12 routes, served by about 425 stops and four main stations in the central region. The public bus transport network covers most of the city's areas, with 400 buses in the first phase, including 240 standard buses and 160 articulated buses, all of which are German-made. — SG