'Kuwait Commute' initiative encourages people to use public buses

KUWAIT: Imagine one day in Kuwait going out of your house and heading to a nearby bus, subway, or railway station to get to work or find leisure. Wouldn't that be convenient? The very concept of public transportation is meant to solve one of the most grueling problems faced in the country with gridlocks stretching as far as the eye could see. While some initiatives in Kuwait exist to encourage people to use public transportation, people are still reluctant to utilize this method for various reasons. Launched by a group of youngsters, the 'Kuwait Commute' initiative aims at encouraging people to use public buses to counter traffic jams and lessen the load of cars on the road.

The initiative's founder Jassem Al-Awadhi said that the main reason for Kuwait Commute was to encourage people to use public transportation. Most Kuwaiti nationals refrain from using public transportation due to it lacking basic means of comfort, Awadhi said, adding that the Central Statistical Bureau's (CSB) statistics show that only two percent of the population in Kuwait - nationals and expatriates included - use public transportation, which in turn represents less than 15 percent of the total means of transport in the country. He added that bus stops generally lack basic features and safety requirements with most of them positioned on major roads and highways.

Kuwait Commute offers an alternative to private transport, indicated Awadhi, revealing that the initiative managed to put on six trips to encourage the use of public transport. The initiative, so far, was met with positive reactions especially from women who expressed eagerness to use public transport more if services were further developed, Awadhi affirmed. He said that the government was interested in the initiative and officials displayed desire to support it.

Meanwhile, the initiative's technical director Halah Al-Humoud stressed that the more people use public transport, the more of a chance that Kuwait City could be turned to a modern metropolis free of dreaded gridlocks. Humoud revealed that she lived in New York City for seven years, using public transport as her main method to commute. The presence of hellish gridlocks requires the extensive use of public transportation and the promotion of regulations to favor public commuting, she affirmed, adding that the more people using busses, for example, the less cars will be present on the streets, leading or maybe lessening traffic jams. - KUNA