By Zaid Aboobacker
KUWAIT: Many students in Kuwait are left confused and dissatisfied with the public transport system. They struggle not only with issues related to accessing buses and free-ride policies, but also face the risk of falling victim to taxi scams. Students lack proper awareness of bus fee policies and encounter difficulties with free-ride policies due to the lack of resources to verify the reality of these policies. Kuwait Times reached out to the three primary bus operators in Kuwait — CityBus, KPTC and Mowasalat (KGL) — to inquire about their bus fare policies for students.
Statements were obtained from multiple bus drivers from KPTC. They mentioned that generally, children below the age of 10 can ride free of charge, while students above that age will be asked to show their student ID before riding for free. However, the head office of KPTC stated that the student-free ride policy is a verbal agreement, and they are unaware of any written documentation. Bader, who works at Mowasalat, a private bus company, explained that a similar rule applies to Mowasalat buses, where students can ride for free if they show a valid student ID.
On the other hand, CityBus informed Kuwait Times they do not have such a policy for teenagers or students. Every passenger boarding its buses needs to pay the ticket fare for their journey. To sum it up, KPTC and Mowasalat confirm that they offer free bus rides for students who show a valid student ID, while CityBus clarified that every passenger must pay the ticket fare. KPTC and Mowasalat also claim that it is mandatory for bus companies to provide free bus travel for students under 18. However, the absence of publicly accessible written laws or decisions makes it unclear if this rule applies universally to both private and public buses.
Fadel, a student from Kuwait, spoke about his worries and confusion surrounding buses. He claims all of his friends have informed him that all buses, whether public or private, are free for students. However, he said, this information contradicts his experiences. While he didn't have to pay for his rides on public buses like KPTC, he encountered situations where some private buses charged him while others did not. Additionally, some bus drivers requested his school ID, while others did not. Many users on Reddit complain about bus fare issues due to the unclear policies surrounding the fee system for students using buses in Kuwait.
Kuwait Times obtained statements from numerous students who have reported instances where buses repeatedly ignored their multiple attempts to board the bus, refusing to stop for them at bus stops even when they were willing to pay. Unsurprisingly, these buses would stop for adults. One of these students, Adnan, says that although the bus drivers were supposed to stop for him at the bus stop, they didn't because they believed they would not benefit from doing so. He mentioned that drivers assumed students might not pay or might cause disruptions, even if the drivers didn't know the students' intentions.
This situation results in well-intentioned students who are willing to pay for a bus ride waiting in the streets until the right driver stops for them. Additionally, Adnan tells us about an event where he nearly fell off a bus when it took off without warning, and incidents where the drivers were rude to him for utilizing the free-ride policy. Some students even complain about the cleanliness of private buses as well as the lack of infrastructure for proper bus stops with air conditioning during the hot summers. However, buses in Kuwait have many positive aspects.
Ryan, a student who uses the bus frequently, highlights that buses are consistently punctual, secure and reasonably comfortable. Shifting the focus to taxis, Hashim, another student in Kuwait, says he has experienced significant differences in taxi fares on the same route he takes every day. Some taxis charge less, while others charge more. He also added that the taxi meter, showing the fare, is sometimes tampered with, displaying different taxi charges in different taxis. Sometimes taxi drivers have demanded more money from him, claiming the meter is malfunctioning.
"Some taxis modify their meters to raise their prices while others are honest," said Muhammad, a taxi driver in Kuwait. Observing the difference in taxi fares along the same route is one technique to determine whether your driver is charging extra. There are also cases of a lack of trust between parents and the public transportation system. Khaled, another student, said many parents he knows do not let their kids take taxis without an adult, as they deem it unsafe.