Gdansk to dismantle infamous bus shelters that do not provide shelter

The stops were nicknamed “shelters of shame”

Gdansk will be dismantling several bus shelters with inappropriate designs, which provide no actual cover, as their name would suggest, the city website informs. The Polish city had recently commissioned 30 structures, as part of a bigger purchase. Some of them, however, have proven absolutely ineffective to protect waiting commuters from rain, snow and wind and have deservedly received criticism on social media. Now, the authorities are committed to correcting the mistake.

Bus shelters for the most fit only

Moreover, after initial reluctance to admit the mistake, the authorities have reportedly changed their tune and now promise to sanction the officials responsible for the investment.

Part of the purchase of 30 shelters, which is worth an estimated 1,5 PLN (around 325,000 EUR), according to Notes from Poland, are designed with narrow roofs and without sidewalls - so much so that they are practically useless in terms of protection. Naturally, as soon as their design was made widely known, they caused outrage on social media and received nicknames such as “shelters of shame” or “slim fit shelters”, local media reports.

Be as it may, according to the authorities, “only” 8 out of the total 30 shelters are too narrow (with roofs less than 70 cm wide), while the remaining have 100-cm roofs or wider. The shelters with wider roofs also have sides and seats.

After failing to convince the public that the purchase is fine, the Roads and Greenery Authority and the City Development Directorate have decided on Tuesday that they are planning to dismantle the narrow models and sanction the responsible members of the administration. It is not clear yet whether new structures will be installed to replace them.

The City estimates that the individual cost of the smallest shelters is about 15 thousand zlotys plus 26 thousand more for the electrical connection powering the lighting and the arrival info displays.