Shanghai Traffic Eases; Cameras at Taj Mahal

World Travel Watch is a monthly report to help you make judgments about travel. Because conditions can change overnight, always make your own inquiries before you leave home. In the United States, contact the nearest passport agency office; abroad, check in with the nearest American embassy .

Asia

--China: Shanghai has big plans to ease its congestion, including a 105-mile subway system and tunnels under the Huangpu River. The first nine miles of the subway will be completed by 1992, with the rest of the system scheduled for completion by the turn of the century.

All pets dogs in Shanghai have been ordered killed because of an outbreak of rabies. Pet dogs are outlawed in most Chinese cities, but Shanghai has 500 legally registered dogs, as well as thousands of illegal ones. Owners have been ordered to kill them or have them confiscated by authorities.

Begging is on the increase in China’s major cities. In some places, beggars can make in a day what an ordinary worker earns in a month. According to some estimates, it’s quietly becoming a profession, especially in Hunan Province.

--India: While cameras are allowed, photographs can no longer be taken from the terrace level of the Taj Mahal, a new regulation that serves no discernible purpose and keeps monitors busy blowing their whistles. People take photographs anyway, and the constant sound of the whistles is an intrusion that interferes with the enjoyment of one of the world’s greatest treasures.

Many regions in India require special permits for travel, and some can be difficult or impossible to obtain, notably permission for non-Indians wishing to go to the Punjab. Check your itinerary with Indian authorities before you go.

--Pakistan: Peshawar, near the Khyber Pass leading into Afghanistan, has long been an open market for arms and other merchandise of war, but of late it has become a marketplace for an odd assortment of luxury goods imported from Europe, Japan, the United States, even the Soviet Union. Bara Bazaar, 10 miles west of the city, displays Soviet refrigerators and air conditioners alongside French perfumes and American cosmetics, all contraband goods in great demand among upper-class Pakistanis. The bazaar is testament to the ingenuity of Afghan traders and the power of the free market.

Africa

--Angola/Namibia: The recent signing of a peace treaty between Angola, Cuba and South Africa paves the way for regional peace and independence for Namibia, formerly ruled by South Africa. The agreement could likely open up travel and tourism to the region.

--Burkina Faso: This country is now free of cholera and yellow fever.

--Mozambique: South Africa has signaled an end to its support of Renamo guerrillas fighting a war of terror against the government and populace, and plans to replace it with economic cooperation. Without South African aid, the guerrilla group will probably disappear, because it has little support within the country and no other source of arms or income. The move raises hopes for the future of this beautiful but desperate land ravaged by more than a decade of internal conflict.

Soviet Union

Perestroika and glasnost are changing the face of the Soviet Union, but if you want to find your way around Moscow, the only comprehensive street guide available remains the one produced by the CIA. Russian maps of the city are deliberately inaccurate, designed to confound rather than guide.

Caribbean

--Haiti: Haitian leader Gen. Prosper Avril recently suggested the formation of an electoral council to organize a presidential election two years from now, a sign that a return to democracy there is a long way off. The potential for unrest remains high. Defer non-essential travel.

Mexico

Mexico City’s air pollution, among the worst in the world, has reached such levels that schools will reopen a month later than usual after the Christmas break because officials fear for the children’s health. January and February are the worst months for pollution there because of thermal inversions.

Southeast Asia

--Burma: The Burmese government is making attempts to draw foreign investment, recently implementing laws to allow repatriation of profits and tax exemptions for the first time in 26 years. But the prospects for foreign investment are not good until political stability is achieved. The U.S. State Department still advises Americans to defer travel there. A sign that the country is newly conscious of its image is a recent decree that residents of Rangoon, the capital city, paint or whitewash the exteriors of their homes.

--Indonesia: The government recently announced that foreigners will soon be allowed into East Timor, a region that has been off-limits since Indonesia invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975.

--Singapore: Another bit of Singapore’s old charm will vanish in April when Change Alley falls victim to the wrecking ball. A 100-yard lane near the famed Raffles Hotel, Change Alley has been drawing traders for more than 50 years. It got its name from its original traders, money-changers who dealt in every conceivable currency, and later became a market offering all manner of merchandise from trinkets to electronic goods. One of the last remaining places in Singapore where people can still haggle for goods, Change Alley will be razed as part of an urban renewal plan.