50 Of The Most Creative And Interesting Bus Stops All Over The World

If some of these stops seemed luxurious, in the 18th and 19th centuries, when coaches and carriages were the main means of overland transportation, travelers would find inns and similar establishments along the route. Imagine a bus stop with beds, a restaurant, and other amenities. 

An early example of this was the Angel in Islington, which was a multi-floor building, where people could eat, sleep and refresh themselves when entering or leaving London for one trip or another. Modern travel is fast enough to no longer require these sorts of establishments, but we can find their spiritual successors in the rest stops dotted along highways all over the world. 

These days, a seat and some protection from the elements are considered sufficient. These are welcome additions for anyone who has to regularly wait in the rain for transportation to arrive, but this has also perhaps been the cause for some fascination with “unique” bus stops. After all, if most are just brick, concrete, or glass boxes, anything more will draw a person’s attention. 

Indeed, the average bus stop is so nondescript that many of us overlook them, despite interacting with them in one way or another constantly. Bus stops are generally where trash cans are placed, many will feature advertisements that may catch our eye even if we don’t pay attention to the location. In this way, they already serve some public utility. Similarly, one might use a stop to shelter from the rain, even if they aren’t actually taking a bus anywhere. 

Just because they are commonplace and utilitarian, doesn’t mean they have to be bare. This list shows all the creativity that one might find when designing a stop but in some places, but in some places, certain luxuries are becoming standard. For example, in particularly hot countries, like India, Turkmenistan, Israel, and the UAE, bus stops may be enclosed and air-conditioned, so passengers don’t have to sit in blistering heat for extended periods. 

Ultimately, what prevents bus stops from being as comfortable, interesting, and unique as they could be are the age-old issue of costs. Similarly, many areas have rules and regulations dictating specific standards that need to be met. Overall, this is a good thing, as public utilities should be safe and functional, but the utilitarian nature of public transportation often limits how creative one can get with it.