Air-conditioned bus shelters big relief for commuters in summer

With summer in its peak, commuting goes smooth in an affordable way for many, thanks to the air-conditioned bus shelters, built as part of the Public Bus Infrastructure programme."Waiting for the bus could have been difficult during summer without these air conditioned bus shelters," said Mohamed Shameer, who uses the MetroLink service to reach Al Wakra Metro station, from where he takes Doha Metro to reach his office at West Bay. The Al Wakra resident pointed out that many office goers are switching to public transport as the system is remarkably efficient and cost-effective.As per figures released by the Ministry of Transport, the Public Bus Infrastructure programme features the development of more than 2,300 bus stops in and outside of Doha, designed in accordance with the highest world standards and technology."The air conditioned shelters are among the attractions of the public transport," said Abdul Majeed, who takes bus to reach his office on a daily basis. He is one of the residents who switched into public transport. "The well set up infrastructure has made travel to work and back, easy. Some of my friends have stopped using cars to reach their offices," he said.The bus shelters have come as a relief for many low income individuals in remote areas. "The number of bus services has been improved. There is better connectivity between Doha and other places and waiting for buses is no more difficult during summer," said a Nepali resident, who works at Doha Industrial Area.Implemented in cooperation with the Public Works Authority, the Public Bus Infrastructure programme aims at providing an integrated, sustainable public transit network that covers all urban areas across the country and forms a coherent transportation unit that includes public buses, Doha Metro, and tram networks.The programme consists of eight bus stations at Al Sudan, Msheireb, Al Gharrafa, Lusail, Al Wakra, Education City, Industrial Area, and West Bay Central and four bus depots in Lusail, the New Industrial Area, Al Wakra, and Al Rayyan. All these facilities are supported with over 650 charging stations for e-bus operations.Also, as part of the programme, there are four Park and Ride parking locations in Al Qassar, Al Wakra, Lusail, and Education City, in service of public transit users. The programme lays the foundation for a full transformation to an electricity-powered transit system that is clean and eco-friendly, using latest technologies with a view to providing the best services in a fashion that supports sustainable development.