Splitting of
Service 858
Not sure if anyone had suggested something similar here, but I
decided to come up with my own rendition of such a suggestion.
Service 858 is one of the many heavily-utilized bus services
that is unable to use high capacity buses. Just like the other
airport bus services, double-deck buses cannot be used due to
height limitations in the PTBs of Changi Airport, while articulated
buses are still in the midst of testing of their feasibility to
operate on airport bus services.
However, despite its inability to carry more passengers, its
passenger demand had not decreased, but increased significantly
first with its route amendment to serve Sembawang New Town in 2010
and the opening of a new pair of bus stops along the Punggol
Flyover of the Tampines Expressway in 2014, which provided a much
faster travel option for residents of Sengkang/Punggol from the
airport compared to Services 27 and 34.
Moreover, its frequency is often impacted due to traffic
congestions along the express sectors of SLE/TPE/PIE,
notwithstanding the fact that it has become the longest loop
service after its adjustment into Sembawang New Town. Despite fleet
additions under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP) and
its placing under the Bus Service Reliability Framework (BSRF) to
reduce bunching instances, things still did not improve much.
While solutions such as building an integrated bus interchange
in Changi Airport that allows the accommodation of double-deck
buses, further testing of articulated buses to ensure its
feasibility to run into Changi Airport or even the introduction of
a route variant that plies between the residential estates it serve
are suggested by many here, another possible solution would be to
split the route into two to better regulate its frequency and
distribute the demand of the service.
Thus, here is a suggestion of the splitting up of Service
858:
Service 858 (Sembawang - Changi Airport)
- Route shortened to Sembawang Int via Sembawang
Cres/Dr/Vista
- Sectors in Woodlands replaced by new Service 968
- Skips Yishun Central 2 to further reduce travel time with
alternative Services 103 & 853
Sembawang Int
Sembawang Dr
Sembawang Cres
Sembawang Way
Canberra Rd
Sembawang Rd
Yishun Ave 5
Yishun Ave 2
Lentor Ave
(SLE)
(TPE)
Jln Kayu
(TPE)
Punggol Flyover
(TPE)
(PIE)
(ECP)
Airport Blvd
PTB3 Basement
PTB1 Basement
PTB2 Basement (Loop)
Airport Blvd
(ECP)
(PIE)
(TPE)
Punggol Flyover
(TPE)
Jln Kayu
(TPE)
(SLE)
Lentor Ave
Yishun Ave 2
Yishun Ave 5
Sembawang Rd
Canberra Rd
Sembawang Way
Sembawang Cres
Sembawang Dr
Sembawang Int
Service 968 (Woodlands - Changi Airport via Bukit
Panjang)
- Replaces the sectors of Service 858 in Woodlands
- Provides a much faster connection to the airport without winding
around Sembawang/Yishun (the slight detour into Bukit Panjang aims
to be minimal to ensure it is not too long-winded)
- Provides new direct connections from Bukit Panjang to the
airport
- Complements the demand of Service 966 between Bukit Panjang and
Toa Payoh/Kallang Bahru
Woodlands Reg Int
Woodlands Ave 7
Woodlands Ave 4
Woodlands Ave 9
Gambas Ave
(Woodlands Ave 12)
(SLE)
(BKE)
Bt Panjang Rd
Pending Rd
Petir Rd
(Dairy Farm Rd)
(BKE)
(PIE)
PIE (Whitley Rd)
Jln Toa Payoh
Jln Kolam Ayer
(PIE)
(ECP)
Airport Blvd
PTB3 Basement
PTB1 Basement
PTB2 Basement (Loop)
Airport Blvd
(ECP)
(PIE)
Jln Kolam Ayer
Jln Toa Payoh
Whitley Rd
(PIE)
(BKE)
(Dairy Farm Rd)
Petir Rd
Pending Rd
Bt Panjang Rd
(BKE)
(SLE)
(Woodlands Ave 12)
Gambas Ave
Woodlands Ave 9
Woodlands Ave 4
Woodlands Ave 7
Woodlands Reg Int
While the splitting will cause the loss of links between
Woodlands, Sembawang and Yishun, alternative Services 962 (to SBW)
and 965/969 (to YIS), as well as the NSL, remain available to
commuters. Moreover, Services 965/969 provide much faster
connections to Yishun compared to the existing Service 858 route.
While Service 962's link between Woodlands and Sembawang may not be
as direct, the travel time is roughly similar to that of Service
858 (making a detour into the inner neighbourhoods of Woodlands
before hitting Sembawang Way).
I had suggested the splitting, but different from yours.
958: Woodlands Interchange <> Changi
Airport (express)
Woodlands Interchange >> Admiralty MRT >> Sembawang
MRT >> Yishun MRT >> Khatib MRT >> Jalan Kayu
>> TPE stop >> Changi Airport
858: Woodlands Interchange <> Punggol
Interchange
Current 858 route, turning left on Punggol Road >> Punggol
Field >> Punggol Way >> Punggol Central >>
Punggol Interchange
* This suggestion was before 117 talks came into picture. I
thought would make immense sense to have 958 as express service to
airport, and parallel to MRT, while 858 to go to Punggol and use
high capacity buses.
