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Commuters bear brunt of poor ACs in buses

SHARJAH — Bus commuters in Sharjah are having to bear the intense heat as the air-conditioning system in the buses were not effective during the peak summer time.

With temperature soaring above 50-degree Celsius in many parts of the country, commuters in Sharjah said the air-conditioning in the buses was not up to the standards, and could hardly beat the summer heat.

Most commuters opine that the ACs seem to have failed due to overcrowding. "The buses are already overcrowded. The heat within the vehicle becomes unbearable, especially while travelling in the afternoon, and I find it really difficult to breath in the bus," said Mohammed Khan, a daily commuter.

Officials say they are taking measures to rectify the problem. "We are aware of the issue, and we plan to cover the bus windows with tinted glass which will partly help reduce the heat. We are also looking into upgrading the AC units in the buses so that they function properly," explained Fahd Al Awadi, General Manager of Kuwaiti company KGL that is managing the fleet for Sharjah Public Transport Corporation (SPTC). "I feel that the AC is not powerful enough. Whenever I occupy the front seats, I feel suffocated," said Rosemary Ferdinand, also a regular commuter.

Officials also say that they were aware of the issue of overcrowding in the buses. "Bus drivers are not authorised to take action or refuse any passenger because we cannot say no to anyone. It is their right to travel," says Fahd. He, however, pointed out that the issue could only be resolved by adding more buses on Route 14. The 11 buses currently running on the route have a seating capacity for 33 each.

From today, we will add more buses, bringing the total to 56, on the route to resolve the problem, said Fahd. By October, at least two more routes are planned within the city. SPTC started operating Route No.14 in May from the Al Sharq Terminal to Sharjah International Airport with a flat fare of Dh3.50 and free travel for children below 10 years.

As part of its future plans, SPTC also plans to dedicate lanes to buses to ensure timely movement. Currently, buses are scheduled to arrive/depart from bus stops every 16 minutes. However, there are delays due to traffic bottlenecks.

Officials said they expect a total of 142 buses on18 routes to cover different areas in the emirate by November.

The SPTC also plans to set up 390 air-conditioned bus stops in different parts of the emirate in the near future.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com