0

The contractor for the one-billion-tolar project, Proreklam Europlakat, was selected through an international public tender and declared the most suitable candidate by the Department of Urban Planning and Development. The contract between the City of Ljubljana and Proreklam Europlakat binds the contractor to maintain the bus stops for 15 years and gives it the right to use it for advertising. The realization of the project has caused a certain level of disquiet among some sections of the general public. Much of the complaint centres on the roofs of the bus stops, which some claim are too small and do not offer adequate shelter against inclement weather. The seating area, made of steel to prevent vandalism, is also said to be too small. Furthermore, sitting on the bench at low temperatures can be quite unpleasant. Some also claim that the shelters are difficult to distinguish because there are too many of them, which is causing confusion not only among passengers but also among bus drivers. Others have even questioned their positioning saying that the construction is too near the roadside. According to Spela Verbic Miklic, a spokesperson for Ljubljana's Department of Public Transport, "the uniting of the information board and the dust-bin is an essential advantage of Ljubljana's bus stops" therefore, saving a lot of precious space. Furthermore, the information boards could be also be supplemented with automated ticketing machines and electronic info-systems. Sasa Machtig, designer of the former bus stops and a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts is not so sure about the functionality of the bus stops. He believes that the main goal of the new bus stops was for them to be of a less disturbing construction that would still support a roof and, in this case, it is just the opposite as there are too many supporting columns. According to the manager of Proreklam Europlakat, Marko Kobl, the criticism of the technical side of the bus stops will calm down, however, some modifications will be made at the most critical stops. The City of Ljubljana definitely deserves an aesthetic, functional and user friendly urban fit out and it is the responsibility of the government to provide such an environment as well as conditions that will encourage architects and urban planning and development experts to actively and freely participate in these projects. Maybe there wouldn't be a thought go to waste if future projects also considered public opinion, which could only enrich urban development.