Shipping containers to arrive as bus shelters
Recycled shipping containers are being used as bus shelters across Abu Dhabi.
The Department of Transport announced the scheme yesterday as part of a Dh35 million project to install 100 new air-conditioned shelters in the city by the end of the year and 600 across the emirate by 2020.
Twenty shelters made from shipping containers will arrive on the streets in the next few months, joining 30 new shelters already installed in the city.
All feature a new design with geometric patterns, outdoor shading and seats, bus timetables, bins for regular and recyclable waste, a quick-response code panel that enables connection to bus routes, and topup machines for Hafilat cards.
Some of the shipping container shelters will be temporary but others are permanent, and more could be installed if the feedback is positive.
The containers are 40 per cent cheaper than regular shelters and can be installed swiftly.
“The idea is to improve the quality of the public transport service,” said Ahmed Al Mazrouei, adviser to the department chairman and head of the buses and water ferries team.
“If we take no action then the traffic will get worse. The government believes public transport is the solution, so shelters are very important.”
Commuters often complain about a lack of shelters in some areas and that air-conditioning often fails in the summer.
The 130 older shelters in the capital will also be cleaned up, with better air-conditioning.
Transport chiefs want more people to take public transport. About 52 million bus rides were taken in Abu Dhabi last year, up 3 per cent on 2016.
The new shelters range in length from six to 12 metres, but most are nine. A 13m shelter that can accommodate up to 60 people is being built opposite the Abu Dhabi main bus terminal on Muroor Road.
Some shelters will reflect the identity of the neighbourhood. One unit near Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is painted white to mirror the place of worship.
“The project reflects the aspirations of the leadership to establish a modern transport infrastructure and a sustainable living environment in the emirate of Abu Dhabi,” Mr Al Mazrouei said. “Public transport reduces traffic for all people.”