Abu Dhabi bus stops to get cooler by 2014

ABU DHABI // There will be 360 air-conditioned shelters in the emirate by 2014, the Department of Transport announced yesterday.

The department will install 160 new shelters in Abu Dhabi city, 80 at cities across Al Gharbia and 120 in Al Ain.

The building phase of the Dh100 million project will begin in four to six weeks. Sites have been selected but the delivery time will depend on space and permission from government authorities.

"We are also taking a lot of challenges with underground services," said Hashim Al Hashimi, director of public transport at the department, referring to the metro building plans. "For each location we have to make sure that there are no underground services."

The shelters will have an Islamic pattern and will be able to be disassembled and moved to different locations. Some will be fitted with ticket machines and LCD screens linked by satellite to the intelligent transport system on buses to show arrival times.

The shelters will be fitted for those with special needs, and will hold between 16 and 28 people.

New shelters will use manual doors. Automatic doors at original shelters often opened when people walked by and were broken from misuse.

There are 77 bus shelters with working air conditioners in Abu Dhabi, out of 81 that were installed. The department will repair the old shelters.

azacharias@thenational.ae