Call to bring back subsidised UoB buses

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

University buses cut during Covid should be brought back, as the service could ease family travel bills and create jobs for Bahrainis, a Northern Municipal Council member has said.

Mohammed Saad Al Dosari told The Daily Tribune that the subsidised transport service to the University of Bahrain was stopped during the pandemic for health reasons.

With those concerns no longer standing in the way, he said there is a strong case for bringing it back.

‘The service stopped during Covid because of the health situation. That reason is no longer there, so why not bring it back?’ he said.

Al Dosari said a revived service could also open up work for jobseekers through driving, supervision and other transport roles.

He wants university buses restored at cheap or subsidised fares, with first call given to students from low-income homes.

The old service had given many students a low-cost ride to university and saved parents from having to drive them each day, he said.

With families paying for fuel and the cost of running a car, Al Dosari said buses could take some of that strain off household budgets.

They could also mean fewer cars on the road.

He said traffic builds up around universities in the morning and again as lectures end, adding pressure on nearby roads.

Buses running between residential areas and campuses would cut the number of students relying on private cars for the trip, he said.

‘Providing the service at reasonable or subsidised prices, with priority for students from low-income families, would ease part of the cost of studying and travelling,’ Al Dosari said.

He called for routes to be based on where students live and which universities they attend.

Al Dosari said bringing the buses back would give students a cheaper way to get to class, help families with transport costs, cut traffic and provide work for jobseekers.