| By Rosli Abidin
Yahya
Haj pilgrims from Southeast
Asia will have special privileges. They will be able to make use
of the new transportation system recently introduced by the
Saudis.
The transport system named
"Taraddudiah System of Commuter Bus Service" will
enable pilgrims (departing from Arafat) to reach Mina in 45
minutes time instead of the usual 6-hour journey.
Haj pilgrims from Brunei
Darussalam have been given the green-light to use the newly
constructed 10-lane route.
Every year, some two million
Muslims travel between these two holy sites - as part of their
Haj rites. About 1,000 Bruneians take part of this pilgrimage
annually.
Three buses will leave
simultaneously to transport 150 pilgrims from Makkah to Arafat.
After the Wukuf (the staying in Arafat from midday to sunset),
the pilgrims will later be transported to Mina.
In Arafat, the Saudis have
provided a bus station of 2,500 "Southeast Asia Muassasah"
buses. The new routes were introduced to avoid traffic
congestion and to enable buses to conduct two trips instead of
one.
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