Twingo instead of waiting hall: A creative solution

Because her home municipality had no money for a new bus stop shelter, a citizen from Saxony came up with a sensational idea: she used a disused Renault Twingo as a replacement and placed the vehicle with the reflective sticker “waiting zone” at the bus stop of a busy country road between Perba and Praterschütz – where the speed limit is 100.

Since the former dilapidated bus shelter was torn down in 2015, their children have had to wait in the wind and rain and already in the dark hours of the morning for the bus to the elementary school and, according to their own statements, often hide behind trees from the passing vehicles – an untenable situation that even a petition submitted to the city for a new shelter did nothing to change. The municipality referred to the tight finances and argued that only few passengers would use the stop. The children of the Twingo owner and a few other affected people from the Badersen district of Nossen were apparently not a factor. Because necessity is the mother of invention, the Twingo was turned into a temporary shelter – and the whole thing was a story that made its way through the press (e.g., the press was a source of information). B. at MDR) went.

More than a “nice-to-have

There are many indications that the plight of the inventive citizen is not an isolated case. After all, in view of their tight financial situation, many municipalities find it difficult to make investments whose urgency they perhaps assess differently than those affected – a delicate decision when it comes to the safety of children and adults. After all, bus shelters not only protect against wind and rain, but also against – as a rule – serious accidents involving personal injury. They define the safe place to stay for those waiting and equipped with reflective elements, they warn motorists of the danger that exists on the spot, especially for children or people with impaired sensory perception. A safe route to school may also be a criterion for the attractiveness of a place to live in the country. According to the Independent Citizens’ List (UBL), currently 56 of the 113 bus stops in the municipality of Nossen do not have a passenger shelter.

I wonder if the new Köln type bus shelter is already included in this count? WSM became aware of this through media coverage and immediately donated “the Köln” to the municipality. With its reflective foil-coated glass walls and autonomous lighting provided by its own photovoltaic module, it will ensure safety and also comfort in all weathers in the future. The Twingo as a refuge has thus had its day. It has served its purpose between Perba and Praterschütz. Perhaps it will soon change its location.