The Netherlands Turns 316 Bus Stops Into “Bee Stops”

• The city of Utretch planted succulents on the roofs of its bus stops to turn them into ‘bee stops’ .
• There are some concerns about the safety of commuters who are allergic to bees.
• The city also plans to install solar panels into the bus stops.

More than half of the bee species living in the Netherlands are already endangered and one city did something about this problem. Utretch has turned its 316 bus stops as “bee-stops,” as in bee-friendly havens meant to give support to pollinating bee populations.

The fourth largest city in the Netherlands gave its bus stops an additional purpose – to help lessen the threat of bee endangerment. The bus stops were revamped with roofs planted with succulents, which will attract the honeybees and bumblebees.

The roofs of the bus stops are now adorned with flowers.

The roofs also have another green purpose – to store rainwater and capture fine dust.

The city’s official website wrote:

“A green roof is good for a healthy and livable city … that can, therefore, cope better with climate problems. It helps to prevent flooding and ensures that we suffer less from heat.”

The city council is also planning to install solar panels on top of the bus stops in the next few years.

They are also encouraging the locals to put their own rooftops to good use. They are offering a subsidy for residents with roofs of more than 20 square meters, which can be turned into green roofs.

However, there are people who are not so down with the idea of bee-friendly bus stops.

Facebook user Simon Waters said “We destroy their habitats and then gift them with little patches on bus stops…aren’t we just the most generous species ever?”

User Nick O’connor said: As a gift to honeybees and certain death to anaphylaxic’s.”

Johnny Nordman had the same concern. “I love this idea, but what if someone who is highly allergic to bee stings need to take public transportation?” he wrote.

But there are positive comments as well.

“Brilliant idea, we should look at Holland. No stray dogs, rescue all cats, and now helping bees,” user Clare Daines Was Hutchings wrote.

The plant installation costs 1,300 euros ($1,449.96). The annual maintenance will cost 300 euros ($334.70). Average life span of the installation is 20 years.