By Ramesh Mathew
Staff Reporter
Bus passengers have urged the authorities concerned to build an adequate number of fully covered bus shelters around the country.
While announcements have been made on plans to build new bus shelters for waiting passengers in Doha and other places, only a handful have been completed due to factors such as ongoing road works.
With temperatures soaring, passengers say they will continue to face the ordeal of waiting for buses in the scorching heat. Even the Central Bus Station does not have a proper shaded area to protect them from the sun, they point out.
The long-standing demand for covered bus shelters has assumed greater significance in view of the increasing number of bus users.
Patronage of bus services has grown significantly in the last two years, with large groups of expatriate workers arriving in Qatar for construction projects.
More workers will come over the next few months as major road and other infrastructure projects are launched, a senior Ashghal official said while awarding major road contracts recently.
Work on major projects such as the orbital highway and truck route is expected to lead to an influx of workers in the coming months.
This is expected to result in a further rise in the number of people using public transport buses.
Many workers also say that they prefer to make weekend trips on public transport buses rather than the buses provided by their employers, most of which lack air conditioners.
“However, one of the main concerns for us is that we have to bear with the heat and scorching conditions while waiting for buses at uncovered stops,” said a Nepali who works in an electrical shop in the city.