Bus passengers seeking shade from the scorching heat behind the panels of a bus shelter near Hamad Hospital Signal. PICTURE: Nishin Krishnan
By Ramesh Mathew/Staff Reporter
There is no respite from the scorching heat this summer for passengers waiting for public transport buses at most of the bus stops in Qatar.
It is a common sight to see passengers seeking shelter behind the panels of bus stops, unable to bear the intense heat, which prevails from early in the morning until sunset.
"Though Mowasalat had announced more than a year ago that there would be improvement in the facilities at the bus stops, steps are yet to be taken," a regular commuter told Gulf Times.
There has been a phenomenal increase in the number of construction workers over the past three years, many of whom use buses for their travels, it is understood.
At intervals, announcements are made about the number of bus shelters to be built across the country. However, the truth is that facilities at most bus stops continue to remain at where it began a decade ago when public transport buses hit the country's roads for the first time.
While it is true that the necessity of strengthening the public transport in the country is often repeated in official fora, there has been no corresponding improvement in the facilities either at the Doha Bus Station or most bus stops. The ongoing road works across the city has curtailed the transport company's expansion plans as well.
One of the main obstacles for the development of the public transport network in the country is the region's adverse climatic conditions for almost five months in a year, it has been pointed out on many occasions. As a result there are many limitations for the growth of the public transport.
"Even though passengers like me would have opted for bus services for our travels if they are available in adequate numbers, adverse weather conditions prevent us from waiting at the uncovered bus stops," said an expatriate worker at the Hamad International Airport while explaining his difficulties in using public buses.
Though the neighbourhood of the Religious Complex at Mesaimeer is one of the locations where bus services have enjoyed remarkably good patronage on the weekends over the years, even a single proper and well sheltered bus stop has not come up until now.
Significantly no passenger is asking for air-conditioned bus stops. "We need at least proper covers to protect us from heat outside," added a Sri Lankan barber, who works at a saloon in the Industrial Area.
