DOHA: The agony of passengers waiting for bus under the scorching heat of the sun will soon be a thing of the past as Mowasalat and q-media Decaux launched the first air conditioned bus shelter installed on the Corniche on Thursday and still more units in the pipeline.
Mowasalat collaborated with q.media Decaux in cooperation with the Municipality to set up the the airconditioned bus shelter.
Jassim Saif Al Sulaiti, Chairman and Managing Director of Mowasalat; Ahmed Al Ansari, Business Development Director of Mowasalat; Steve Bovey, Managing Director of q.media Decaux Qatar; and other officials of Mowasalat, Doha Municipality and q.media Decaux graced the inauguration ceremony.
"Four more units will be put up soon at highly-frequented locations including the Corniche, VIP, Majlis Al Tawoon and and Airport Road," Al Ansari told The Peninsula.
The next four units will be in place by March for assessment and feedback, only then more units will be put in place in various locations to respond to the needs of the passengers. All five units cost QR2.5m. "The air-conditioned bus shelter is a joint initiative of Mowasalat and q.media Decaux to cater to the needs of public transportation users and is part of our strategy to improve the service standards in the city," said Al Ansari.
He said the design of the shelter is exceptional and a space for the handicapped has also been added making the facility better than the ones found in other countries such as Dubai.
After it had been installed on December 27, the new bus shelter underwent a two-week test period to make sure it was technically operational and is now fully functional. Doha is the first city to enjoy JCDecaux airconditioned bus shelters whose design suits the country's environment and aechitecture. Responding to sustainable policy, the shelter has been designed with energy saving technology, starting with an efficient thermal insulation.
The air conditioning will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, however a minimum temperature of 24 degrees Celsius is set for it to start so it will automatically go off during winters.
"We are delighted to provide the Doha Municipality and its residents with an innovative and convenient service. One of our Group values is to excel being a city provider improving the quality of life and we believe this project will fully benefit the population of Doha," said Sheikh Al Hussain, Chairman of q.media Decaux.
© The Peninsula 2011
