"HARBOR-STYLE" bus stops will be built in Shenzhen to make it safer and more convenient for residents to take buses, the Daily Sunshine said yesterday.

Government departments concerned are conducting research and drawing up plans to build such bus stops, the report said. Building "harbor-style" bus stops has been listed as a key construction project for Shenzhen this year.

Many buses stop at Dongmen Road Central and they often form a 30-meter-long line there while dropping off and picking up passengers. This not only causes jams but also poses safety hazards for passengers, as drivers sometimes cannot see passengers getting off buses in front of him, the report said.

"Harbor-style" bus stops, which curve towards the sidewalk and have a raised platform, will prevent buses from blocking a lane and make it safer for passengers, according to the Daily Sunshine report. Such stops will help to ease the traffic congestion on busy roads like Huaqiang Road and Renmin Road South, the report said.

The city's communications bureau has also pledged to relocate some of the city's bus stops and standardize road signs in response to complaints lodged by passengers.

Sometimes people have to walk several hundred meters before they can cross the road to take a bus from the other side, the paper said. For instance, there is no footbridge linking the two bus stops on either side of Xinzhou Road South. It takes people 10 minutes to walk to the stop on the other side. Similarly, the Zhuzilin bus stops along Shennan Thoroughfare are 1,000 meters from the nearest zebra crossing.

"I often cross Shennan Thoroughfare amid running vehicles. It's dangerous, but I am always in a hurry," a passenger was quoted as saying.

Others complained about the lack of obvious bus stop signs. The sign for the bus 109 stop opposite Coco Park is just a small iron plate on a pillar.

Editor: Donald