As we come to the end of this thread is about to end, it's time
to plan ahead and look forward to the discussions we would be
having in the subsequent threads.
From now to end of next year, we will be talking about Bukit
Panjang Bus Interchange and Tuas Bus Terminal, as they open for
revenue service. We will also talk about Seletar Depot, Ulu Pandan
Depot and related bus interchanges, as the GCM packages are rolled
out next year. Also, we will be talking about the GCM depots for
Sembawang-Yishun and Sengkang-Hougang packages, as they would be
announced this year and next year.
All these will take up about 24 pages of the next thread. With
about 1 page each month on miscellaneous topic, I would expect
about 41 pages to be filled up by December 2018.
2019 will see the opening of three new bus interchanges -
Yishun, Woodlands and Jurong East - as they return to their
original locations. The MRT Cross Island Line stations will be
announced that year, and we can expect quite a robust debate about
the CRL depots, and also the potential integrated transport hubs
that could be built along with the CRL (eg. Hougang and Punggol).
Towards the end of the year, Gali Batu Bus Terminal will open, and
we can expect quite a meaningful discussion about it.
The discussions in 2019 would probably take up about 39 pages,
filling the thread to about 80 pages.
The second thread will end at around December
2019.
By then, we will move on to the third thread, and talk about
even more bus interchange and depot developments, like Bidadari,
Buangkok, Choa Chu Kang, Pasir Ris and Hougang bus interchanges,
and the depots for GCM packages all around Singapore, as the
majority of bus services will switch over to new depots during that
period of time.
In fact, discussion about buses will start to regress by then
(2023), as everything about buses becomes saturated. By then, we
will be talking about other things, such as the introduction of
autonomous buses, and other forms of future technology.
All these developments from 2020 to 2023 will fill up the entire
third thread.
The third thread will end by 2023, and this may
be the last bus interchange, terminal and depot thread to be
completed filled up.
While there will be things to talk about in 2024 and beyond, the
momentum will be very low, as many things about bus interchange,
terminal and depot would have saturated by then. It's either the
fourth thread will go very slowly, or stop there.
I foresee 10 integrated transport hubs to be created in the long
and longer term (2027-2031: Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah, Punggol,
Tampines, Tampines North. Longer term: Bishan, Buona Vista, Eunos,
Seletar, Sembawang), but that's around 2030 and beyond, and they
would probably announce them at around 2025 and beyond; 2 years
after the fourth thread is created. I'm not sure if the fourth
thread can last this long, with limited development on bus
interchange, terminal and depot.
Anyway, this is my forecast on the discussions about bus
interchange, terminal and depot.
Thank you and have a nice day.