Jassim Al-Awadhi’s eyes opened to public transit one day in the summer of 2016. Finishing his day at Boubyan Bank, where he works as a financial analyst, he wanted to visit his uncle down the street. Jassim hates driving in Kuwait; he has a sporty car, a speedy VW Golf, but driving in downtown Kuwait in the midafternoon is a major headache. Parking legally is a nightmare in the core of the city, and more time can be spent looking for a spot, paying for a ticket, or worse (going to the impound lot) than the commute home.

So Jassim made a strange decision for a Kuwaiti national – to take the bus.

He found taking the bus to be convenient, that it was “minimal work” and much quicker than taking his car. He was also surprised by the availability of and access to buses on the street near his work. This solved a serious problem for Jassim. Kuwait has “major congestion” during working hours from 7 am to 3 pm. Most Kuwaiti nationals drive to work and they spend a large amount of time “stopping and starting” on their return to the suburbs.

Shortly after his bus adventure, Jassim realized that “group transportation should be taken seriously” in his country. The transportation infrastructure exists already and there are a large number of buses, drivers, and routes. Fees are cheap (250-350 fils per ride, about $1) compared to taxis (typically $20-25 per fare). But Jassim, who has a degree in finance from American University in Kuwait, found that public transportation was not user friendly: Customer service was underdeveloped and neglected. There was no clear signage, and bus drivers frequently did not speak Arabic or English, the two dominant languages in Kuwait, making it difficult for passengers to ask questions about routes or stops.

So, Jassim gathered some friends and founded Kuwait Commute, an informal network and association. Starting as a social experiment, it quickly has become an initiative to encourage Kuwaiti nationals to use public transportation instead of driving.

AGSIW spoke with some of the members of the Kuwait Commute team, and they made their objective clear: “to be part of implementing feasible and executable solutions to improve Kuwait’s rapidly escalating traffic issues.” The group does this by raising public awareness through social media, lectures, and a long-term public relations campaign. By engaging with stakeholders, including the Kuwaiti Municipality Planning Department, the Public Authority for Roads and Transportation, National Assembly members, neighborhood leaders, and business people, they hope to change the culture around public transportation.

According to group members, a big part of the explanation for low usage of buses by Kuwaitis is social stigma, both real and imagined. Kuwaiti citizens, who are some of the most traveled in the world, spend plenty of time using public transit in international locations, like London, New York, or even nearby localities in the United Arab Emirates.

For women, according to member Alaa Al Radwan, traveling on the bus is a safety issue. There are non-Kuwaiti men on the bus and there is a perception that a women’s honor could be compromised. There is a very real danger of verbal and physical harassment, as is common on transit systems all over the world.

For Kuwaiti men, concerns are less tangible. Traveling on the bus can be considered “embarrassing” since the advent of oil wealth. Part of this aversion to public transit is historical, according to Jassim. “Old Kuwayt” town was small, and it was “never part of culture to commute in groups” simply because it was not necessary. According to Kuwait Commute’s official policy statement, public transportation was used more frequently in the 1960s and ‘70s, but later became exclusively utilized by low-income individuals and those who could not obtain a driving permit or car. Public transportation became associated with the “second class” and developed a poor image.

The main issue Kuwait Commute members see with the government’s strategy to address traffic issues is the policy of “predict and provide” – to build and expand roads. This has become less effective with the rapid increase in population and traffic congestion throughout Kuwait. According to one report, “speeding, lax enforcement of traffic regulations and high-density traffic have led to frequent and often fatal accidents on Kuwait’s roads.”

Members further explained that because mainly only noncitizens use bus transit, there has been no public lobby for its improvement. Furthermore, with Kuwait’s economic development plan, Kuwait 2035, seeking to reduce the “expatriate population by more than half,” the government cannot predict what routes or level of transit is desirable to stimulate the economy. Despite these ambitions, the number of expatriates, which currently comprise 70 percent of the population, is likely to grow as it has since the early 2000s. “No one is paying attention” to the realities of the situation, according to one group member.

The network map of the two bus providers clearly illustrates the focus on low-income expatriates. While nine bus routes ferry workers from Farwaniya and Jleeb al Shouk to the downtown core, other densely populated areas like Hawally, Salmiya, and Jabriya, are virtually ignored. There is no major transit to mall complexes like Marina, Avenues, 360, and Al Kut, nor to tourist destinations like Al Hamra tower, Al Shaheed Park, and the Kuwait Towers. There are no bus routes in “Kuwaiti neighborhoods,” where only citizens reside, even for expatriates working there, forcing commuters to walk 15-20 minutes from the major roads or highways, which can be dangerous, especially in summer months when temperatures reach up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

But Kuwait is changing, according to the group members. They stressed that young people need to start bringing awareness to the fact that “cars are a luxury.” And traffic in Kuwait is an issue for everyone, regardless of how fancy one’s car is. The psychological health of drivers and commuters is key to a healthy life and the stress of driving in Kuwait takes its toll. To add to this, one member noted the potential economic impact: “Time in traffic is lost money” and “opening bus stations invests in footfall and increased profits” by getting travelers to consumer destinations.

Kuwait Commute sees buses as a “stepping stone” to a larger subway and rail system. The Kuwait Metro Rail is planned to run over 100 miles across the inner city, and could significantly decrease traffic congestion and improve the quality of life for residents.

Kuwait Rapid Transit & Rail Road Systems ENG

However, the four-line project is only 11 percent complete and years behind schedule. In the meantime, buses could span many parts of Kuwait that the train system will eventually connect.

While the proposed metro system will be a big improvement, it could still face the same social stigmas attached to buses. The Kuwait Commute team wants Kuwaitis to become more involved in the process of developing this rail network. Citizen input in planning in infrastructure projects is paramount to their success. Groups like Kuwait Commute increase the likelihood that projects will represent individual and group needs and create the future Kuwaitis wish to see.

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