A team of youngsters has launched an online platform to provide car rides for Bahrain University students as part of efforts to tackle the transportation crisis, reduce air pollution and enhance community partnership.
Sarena.bh – unveiled on Instagram last week – is fully operated and managed by nine Bahrainis aged between 16 and 24 – most of whom are university pupils who claim to have witnessed the struggle of transport and congestion firsthand.
The initiative aims to facilitate transport for students by connecting them to a network while also creating an additional means of income for youngsters.
The GDN previously reported that parents and students had urged a rethink on a decision by Bahrain University to cancel transportation services to and from its three campuses.
Students have been facing difficulty reaching the university on time since the start of the academic year and many say they have also been forced to return home late. The decision has also led to an increase in private transportation costs – with rates exceeding BD120 a month.
The Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry, Bahrain University and Bahrain Public Transport Company earlier announced that BPTC would operate the main bus routes to and from the university’s campuses in Sakhir, from the beginning of the 2022-2023 academic year.
“We have witnessed the struggle firsthand among our colleagues who either cannot afford private transportation, who don’t have their own vehicles or face other challenges and we wanted to create a sustainable solution that brings the community together,” Sarena.bh media affairs head Jood Al Mahmood told the GDN.
“We also wanted to play a part – no matter how small – in reducing pollution by cutting down the number of vehicles on the road leading to the university – and that is why we devised the car-pooling mechanism.
“After the pandemic, there was a massive increase in the number of students attending schools and universities leading to traffic congestion.
“We wanted to bring back the concept of community partnership among university students and colleagues by creating an affordable means of transport that could also foster a culture of friendship.”
According to Ms Al Mahmood, the platform allows registered drivers to list their available timings – based on their lectures – and students can select the most convenient slot that aligns with their schedule.
She revealed that since the launch on Sunday, 11 student drivers had signed up along with 12 passengers – with many more submitting inquiries to register.
“Prior to launching the platform we conducted an extensive survey and found that there was a large percentage of students who are in need of transportation. There were also those willing to drive the students to the university,” she added.
“Students who have their own cars can register as drivers. We verify their information after which the driver provides the timings that fit into their schedule. Students seeking transport can review the list and book the slot that works best for them.
“It isn’t necessary that the same driver drops off a student and picks them up as it is all based on the personalised schedule that works best for both parties.
“It’s like a private-service that can be personalised and customised based on the individual needs and requirements of the drivers.”
The service is currently available for Bahrain University students at Sakhir campus with plans in the pipeline to expand the platform to provide services across Bahrain.
Follow @sarena.bh for more information.
reem@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))