The practice among people parking their cars in slots reserved for Mowasalat public buses is taking its toll on bus drivers, who say they are being penalised for stopping in the middle of the streets, as well as other motorists.

Besides offending people in vehicles coming from behind, a bus driver told Gulf Times they also get fined by the police for stopping in the middle of the road or at places not designated for the purpose.
“There is no way to stop in designated areas for us as these slots are already occupied by drivers who leave their vehicles there for long periods,” he noted. “If we stop (before or) after the bus stops, passengers get mad at us.”
Worse, he said they have to pay the QR500 fine from their own pockets, which many bus drivers believe should not be the case.
Another driver echoed the statement of his colleague, saying he was fined twice for stopping along the road right in front of the bus stop to load and unload passengers.
A few weeks ago, he said he was hit from behind on Al Waab Street despite switching on his hazard lights.
“We do this to warn commuters who come from behind to prevent any untoward accident,” he added. “We always want to ensure the safety of our passengers as they board or leave the bus.”
In some cases, he lamented that they have to pay a QR650 fine as an "admin fee" (deducted from their salaries) for any damage to the bus they are driving.
Asked if they report violators to authorities, the bus driver said they take the pictures of cars parked in slots reserved for them and send it to their office.
He pointed out that at times they fail to take pictures since they are more concerned about the safety of their passengers.


A bus stops in the middle of the road, parallel to the slot reserved for it, which has been taken over by private vehicles

“But when we get fined by the police, we try to take pictures of the car (cars) as a proof that it was not our fault, hoping our office will pay the fine,” another bus driver said.
He stressed that this practice (of parking cars at bus stops) has been happening for a long time and continuing up to now. Designated areas for buses have almost become "permanent" parking lots for some motorists, who leave their cars there for several hours.
He believes that imposing stiffer penalties on violators, similar to penalising those who park in slots for people with disabilities, will discourage motorists from parking in slots designated for public buses.
Several motorists said bus drivers stop their vehicles right in the middle of the road after they find the reserved slots having been "usurped" by private cars. "This not only blocks traffic on busy roads but also poses a big threat to vehicles coming from behind," they said.
Some commuters and passengers have sided with the bus drivers, saying this practice endangers their lives as well as others'.
An Asian expatriate who regularly takes buses while going to work urged the public to be observant and extra cautious while boarding and leaving buses, taxis, limousines or any other means of transport.
He said some motorists, including illegal taxi operators, also tend to park and use these bus stops as waiting areas.