Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Air conditioned bus shelters?

Last February, The Gulf News reported that a company was designing air-conditioned bus shelters for Dubai. According to that esteemed publication, by May 2007 there should be 500 of these shelters installed, with more to be added.

Actually, all winter all the bus stops were air-conditioned; now, however the A/C seems to have stopped working. It's 45 (113 for Americans) in the shade. Of which there may or may not be any.

Many stops have a red steel awning which provides a little shade, and someone has put yellow parasols on several of the benches which lack the awning, but many of the bus stops have no shade at all.

Still, as soon as winter arrives, all the Dubai bus stops will once again be air-conditioned.

As for 500 remaining air-conditioned during summers, beginning in 2007, whether this will actually happen, and when, is still shrouded in mystery.

But as a confirmed bus rider, it's certainly something I'd like to see.