Abu Dhabi to get more air conditioned bus shelters

Abu Dhabi: Commuters using public buses in Abu Dhabi will soon have a more comfortable journey as more than 160 air conditioned bus shelters are being installed all over the city.

The work on the new air conditioned bus shelters is being completed quickly as commuters are currently forced to seek protection from the midday sun in the shade of nearby buildings as they wait for public buses to arrive at their unsheltered stops.

A popular Al Muroor bus stop is a transit point to more than 15 bus routes yet residents are still having trouble coping with the afternoon sun as the summer days become hotter and Ramadan approaches.

Ethiopian waitress Sabla M, who takes the bus every day to and from work says: “Because the bus arrives every hour, I have to wait nearly half an hour at this particular stop because the bus does not always come on time. However, I do not know how I will continue to do this in Ramadan as it is getting far too hot for me to bear especially if I am fasting.”

A one way-trip to Mohammad Bin Zayed City where she lives costs nearly Dh50 by taxi whereas a bus trip costs Dh4 one way, according to the resident.

“I will be forced to take a taxi during Ramadan but I would much rather prefer it if a shelter is set up where I can wait,” the 23 year-old added.

However, other residents reported that when going on long-distance trips, this mode of travel is their best option simply due to the significantly cheaper cost of using buses compared to taxis.

Further down Al Muroor Road, an air-conditioned bus shelter has been set up by the Department of Transportation (DoT) during the second phase of its plan to install 360 such shelters in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The DoT announced in December last year the implementation of the second phase of this project where 160 bus shelters are being installed in Abu Dhabi city, 80 in the Western Region and 120 in Al Ain City and its suburbs.

Around 650 buses operate on more than 95 routes catering to more than 50 million passengers a year within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, according to the Dot Statistics released in 2011. Abu Dhabi initially saw the first 20 air conditioned bus stop shelters in 2009.

Residents using the handful of air-conditioned bus shelters in the capital have expressed satisfaction with the shelter’s quality and practicality.

“I have been taking the bus for the past two to three years about three times a week. I loves that this bus stop finally has an air conditioner although and I frequently used it to cool down before my bus comes,” 50-year-old M Sarojini told Gulf News. “This structure is truly a blessing given the harsh weather conditions in the UAE,” she added.

The bus shelters come in three sizes: small, medium and large with the smallest accommodating 16 people while the largest can accommodate up to 28 individuals. All of the new air-conditioned bus shelters have room for a wheelchair.

The project will be completed by March 2014 according to the DoT.

Dubai was the first city in the world to have air conditioned bus shelters which now has more than 650 air conditioned bus stops.