If want to split 198, actually can. No one (not many) people
actually takes 198 all the way from Boon Lay to Bukit Merah, or
from Bukit Merah to Boon Lay. It takes around two hours leh,
considering the jam and all the traffic lights. Most people, if not
all, would rather take MRT lor.
If want split, I suggest shortening 198 to NUH, and then somehow
make it terminate at Kent Ridge Bus Terminal.
The condition is that the new route replacing the skipped
section also serve NUH, somewhat duplicate 198 at NUH. So, it's
either the new route come from New Bridge Road Bus Terminal (or
Marina Centre or Shenton Way), recover the skipped section of 198
and loop around NUH, or the new route also start from Kent Ridge
Bus Terminal, go to NUH, recover the skipped section of 198 and
loop at the city area.
Actually, I feel that it is better to do something to express
bus 502 instead. 502 is too long, and heavily duplicates 99 and
185. We can split 502 into many express routes, actually. One for
Jurong West Extension, One for Old Jurong West and Jurong East. We
can even have one for Taman Jurong and Teban Gardens, combined.
I suggest a new 502 for Jurong West Extension. It follows the
current 502 route between Soon Lee Depot and Corporation Road. It
runs express along the PIE, Whitley Road and Stevens road. It
follows the current 502 route between Orchard Road and Shenton Way,
and then terminate at Shenton Way Bus Terminal. Same frequency as
current 502, except now can have more single decker buses than
double decker buses.
I suggest a new express route for Old Jurong West and Jurong
East. It follows 157 route between Boon Lay Bus Interchange and
Jurong Town Hall Road, run until the end of Jurong East Avenue 1,
run express along PIE and CTE, somehow meander through the CBD and
then terminate at a bus terminal in the CBD. Same frequency as 502.
Majority single decker, with some double decker.
I suggest a new express route for Taman Jurong and Teban
Gardens. It follows 30 route between Boon Lay Bus Interchange and
World Trade Centre, and then somehow run between World Trade Centre
and Shenton Way Bus Terminal. It runs express between West Coast
Highway and World Trade Centre. It can start with full single
decker buses first, then along the way if the loading is
encouraging then have some double decker buses in the fleet.
Your ideas are so terrible, it gave me bus cancer.
What 502 currently needs is more SD -> DD conversion, not a
split in route. 502's sole purpose is to get people from the West
to Orchard, however there's also demand to IMM. Sometimes people in
Toh Guan, based on my observation can't board the SD buses due to
the staggering amount of people to the door and have to wait for
another bus, again in 20 minutes.
A split in 502 would cause a huge resource upgrade for whatever
these two services end up being, and 502 doesn't have that much
demand in weekdays non-peak to justify that. There's also already
502A in the early morning peak hours via Corporation Road/PIE to
give leanway to the possible extra time needed for the frequent
jams in Clementi & Orchard.
Your idea of a 198 split, is again terrible. Don't you know
there's demand from Jurong West/East Avenue 1 to IKEA/Queensway,
and you're cutting the direct link for these people here?
An express route for Taman Jurong and Teban Gardens will prove
inefficient due to the small size of the town. May I suggest for
Teban Gardens/Pandan residents to take 201 to Teban Flyover, and
change to 97, and Taman Jurong residents to take 154 to Teban
Flyover, and change to 97 or take 49 to IBP, cross to the opposite
busstop and take 97.
502 and 198 remains excellent as it is. No need to change.