Convenience of use must be core of public designs

PHOTOS SHOWING 3.48-meter high bus stop boards in Jianyang, Southwest China's Sichuan province, went viral online recently. Even Yao Ming, the 2.26-meter tall basketball player, may not be able to clearly see the small characters listing the names of more than 30 stops, which are crowded in an area just 40 centimeters wide.

The ridiculous designs of public facilities exposed by netizens across the country highlights the necessity for the authorities to establish a workable mechanism to ensure every cent of public funds on public infrastructure is well spent for the convenience of users. China Youth Daily comments:

There is no lack of designs that show no consideration to the end user. For example, the leg space between seats on some buses in many cities is so narrow that only youngsters can comfortably rest their legs. The distance between two supposedly "seamless" transfer subway stations can be a "long march" for users, and particularly challenging for the elderly and disabled passengers.