Waiting at a bus shelter can be super annoying on the best of days. A typical bus shelter could be anything from a literal stack of bare bricks to those glass shelters that get really hot and barely protect you from the rain – if they’ve even bothered to install a bus shelter, that is.

To address this glaring issue, a group of Maltese architects have teamed up with a technology company to come up with an innovative way to make bus shelters cool again – or, more accurately, smart again.

Architecture firm Il-Periti and tech company Innova Ltd. have designed Malta’s first multi-functional smart bus shelter

“We are proposing the development of a prototype smart connected bus shelter with multi-functionality and powered by renewable energy,” the two groups said.

“The project addresses the problem of lack of appropriate bus shelters in the Maltese public transportation system,” they continued. “Current bus shelter designs in Malta are based on a structure and canopy with glass sheets all round. In certain instances it was observed that such a glass based solution does not provide adequate shading, sheltering and comfort. In addition, the current solution does not provide any means of data connectivity.”

The collaborators saw a lot of opportunity for improvement

“There’s a wide range of issues including a lack of adoption by society in general of using public transportation, issues related to quality of life during commuting times, lack of connectivity and other general effects on social wellbeing. Moreover, there is a great potential to exploit solar energy by means of photovoltaic panels. In other words, the proposed smart shelters would enable a positive energy contribution towards Malta’s energy needs,” they said.

Their proposed smart shelters have a number of cool benefits

Apart from enticing more people to use public transport, it’ll also improve connectivity around the island between smart technologies. Using solar energy, the bus shelters will be able to actually produce energy. Il-Periti estimate that 100 hundred smart bus shelters would be able to produce enough power for 35-40 homes.

A prototype is in the works and heading our way

The two groups are working on creating a prototype that may secure them further funding to complete their goal – they currently have no government or public transport backing.

“The expected outcome of this project will be a demonstration prototype which will springboard into a wider dissemination and eventual uptake throughout the island. This will address the concerns raised and mentioned earlier and will provide at the same time potential for renewable energy generation in line with Malta’s renewable energy commitments of 2020,” they said.

“Malta Public transport reports 50 million passengers per year,” they continued. “This project aims to make the origination point of that trip more comfortable, useful and aesthetically pleasing. The additional benefit is that this street furniture would also add to the beauty of the street-scape rather than be an eyesore as is the case with many of the current bus stops or shelters.”

What do you think of the proposed smart bus shelters?

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Johnathan Cilia

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]