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Road work on the Corniche has deprived commuters of waiting areas at bus stops at most halts along the five-kilometre stretch covered by buses. |
Waiting points have been done away with or encroached upon by parked vehicles. At one site ongoing construction activity has led to the removal of a bus stop which was opened a few years ago amid fanfare.
Significantly this is happening at a time when deliberations are taking place at different levels to promote public transport across the country. Buses are the only form of public transport for the country’s less fortunate residents, especially low income labourers.
When contacted by the Gulf Times, a senior Mowasalat official said their company has been closely following road developments across the Corniche and is waiting for all works to end before waiting facilities are rebuilt.
Three bus stops have been removed because of the road widening.
Meanwhile passengers using buses between the Central Bus Station and City Center Doha (CCD) have complained that they are waiting much longer. A Filipino expatriate complained that even after waiting 45 minutes from 6pm at the Central Bus Station he could not get a bus to the CCD.
“The only bus that came to the bay was so crowded that most waiting passengers were unable to board,” he said.
Buses to the CCD are scheduled at a 15-minute gap. However passengers say you would be extremely lucky if a bus on the route is seen after half-an-hour.