Eco-friendly bus stops pop-up in Gdynia

They are still uncommon in Poland

New energy-saving bus shelters have appeared in the port city of Gdynia in December. The Polish city now boasts two stops with photovoltaic panels placed on their roofs, which collect solar energy and illuminate their interior after dark. Although not so widespread in Poland, such energy-saving practices are set to become commonplace in Gdynia in the near future.

Making public transport more attractive, sustainably

During the last couple of weeks of 2020 Gdynia was working on the modernisation and total replacement of part of its bus shelters. Some of them, located at the stops of Kwiatkowska 02 and Skarbka II 01 are distinguished by their energy efficiency.

Thanks to the use of innovative lighting, the stops installed there do not need to be connected to the municipal energy infrastructure to ensure the comfort of passengers. Instead, photovoltaic panels placed on their roofs store and transform solar energy to power energy-saving LED lamps.

The operation of the lighting can also be defined as smart and efficient as during the night, its intensity is only at 30% - just enough to make them visible from afar. When a passenger approaches the shelter, however, his motion is registered by sensors which turn the lights on to full power.

A new shelter at the Kwiatkowska 02 stop, photo by ZKM Gdynia

It is still uncommon to see lighting inside bus shelters in Poland, but the local authorities of Gdynia want to invest further in this area and make the environmentally friendly bus stops a standard for the city. Last year, Gdynia also managed to install 10 new bus shelters and completely renovated another 3 which have been worn out – all in the name of encouraging citizens to opt for public transport, instead of private vehicles.

“We encourage the residents of Gdynia to use public transport, which is simply much more efficient and environmentally friendly. By investing in our city - whether in rolling stock or infrastructure - we show that traveling by bus or trolleybus can be comfortable and available to everyone, without exception. And the new shelters are not only aesthetic and functional, but above all energy efficient. They meet the standards of a modern and ecological city, so they fit perfectly with Gdynia”, Katarzyna Gruszecka-Spychała, vice-mayor for economy was quoted saying.