University of Bahrain students plead for buses to be reinstated

TDT | Manama                 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com  

Reported by Zahra Ayaz

Students at the University of Bahrain (UoB) are pleading to the authorities to reconsider their decision to discontinue transportation services, which “is making it difficult for them to attend classes”.

Earlier, 32 MPs requested the Cabinet to overturn the university’s decision and restart the free bus service for students at the Sakhir, Isa Town and Salmaniya campuses. The university’s decision to cancel bus transportation to and from its three campuses in order to alleviate traffic congestion has sparked students’ outrage.

Shifa Ghani, a student at the university, told The Daily Tribune, “I am finding it very difficult to travel every day to university as I used to go by bus although I do have a licence it is still pointless; we belong to a middle-class family and most households have no more than one car.”

“My parents drive themselves to work, and I have hired a driver for myself, which has been costing me a lot of money, but I don’t have any other option. It is preferable if the university takes the initiative and restarts the buses; otherwise, they can continue with online classes.”

Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, stated: “I used to travel by bus before; it was simple because the bus would come near to my area and I would just wait for 5 minutes and get in. “But now I am going to university with my friend who has a car; I do have afternoon classes and my friend has classes in the morning; as a result, I have to leave home in the morning and wait for my classes until afternoon.

“One of my friends, who doesn’t own a car either, rents a car that costs her more than BD120 per month just to get to the university. Sometimes, when my friends don’t have classes, my father drives me to Sakhir, where my campus is located.

And, naturally he would be late for work on these days. “We plead the authorities to kindly resume the buses so that it will make our lives much easier. Every bus can at least carry 25 students, which will help ease traffic on the highways and we will not have parking issues either,” he added.

The University officials as well as higher education authorities could not be reached for a comment. The University of Bahrain is nearly home to more than 24,000 students and it is the largest public university in the Kingdom. The University is recognised as a teaching, research and entrepreneurial institute that is directly contributing to the economic growth and development of the Kingdom.