Call for better bus shelters

While there has been a significant growth in the number of bus users in the country over the past few years, there are still not enough covered bus stops in Doha and beyond, say commuters.Such bus users, mainly expatriate workers, have time and again raised the issue of providing proper bus shelters.They argue that it is “extremely difficult for them to cope with the scorching conditions during the summer while waiting for a bus to arrive”. Though some improvement has indeed taken place, the situation is far from ideal — according to the commuters.Passengers could be seen seeking shelter from the heat by standing behind the panels of some bus stops, while others stand in the shade provided by nearby buildings or shops.However, this is not always possible and passengers are often forced to stand in the open — right under the sun.Hoping for a solution to this longstanding problem, some passengers said it would do them a lot of good if some shelters were built during the ongoing summer itself.Sources point out that though a large number of passengers board buses for places such as the Doha Bus Station and Madinat Khalifa from the City Center Doha bus stop, there is no proper shelter there.Also, passengers boarding buses from Asian Town near the Industrial Area have aired similar grievances.Some passengers also said there is often a major rush at a bus stop near LuLu Hypermarket, D-Ring Road, but the uncovered shelter there does not offer them any protection in the summer.While there are some partially covered bus shelters in the city and a few fully covered ones as well, most areas outside the city with a sizeable population of workers do not have such facilities though the requirement is high, feel a section of residents.The bus users hoped there would be some improvement regarding the issue of bus shelters by the end of this year as the authorities concerned have announced plans to develop an effective bus network linking it with each of the upcoming Doha Metro stations.