930E (renumbered from 980E)
Sembawang Int to Lor 1 Geylang Terminal
via
Canberra Road
Sembawang Road
Upper Thomson Road
SLE/CTE
Bukit Timah Road
Sungei Road
Bencoolen Street
Middle Road
Beach Road
Crawford Street
Kallang Road
Sims Avenue
Could try, but would certainly require a significant fleet boost
for 980 / 930E. Not sure if LTA would want to do it though, given
the relatively more convenient MRT option and the lack of demand
from the upcoming Canberra estate residents.
I'm thinking more along the lines of changing 167 though:
The benefits are, of course, a much faster route, almost
express, for Sembawang, Canberra and Yishun West residents. In
addition, Canberra estate / Yishun Ave 2, 7 residents and
industrial workers get a direct link to Canberra MRT station.
Shortfalls would be the loss of direct link between Sembawang
Shopping Ctr / Upper Chong Pang and MRT station (still provided by
858, 859, 980), and the skipping of Upp Thomson Rd bus stops. Much
of 167's long route along Upp Thomson and Thomson Rds still have
alternative services 166 and 980, while lost links to Orchard are
still provided by 162. And of course, should all these happen, 167
and all of these alternative services would need a HUGE fleet
boost.
A less radical option would be to allow 167 to continue along
Upp Thomson Rd instead of taking the express route (in orange), but I feel that would have
defeated the purpose of amending the route over to Canberra in the
first place. The opening of NSE / Thomson-East Coast Line may also
make such a route change obsolete.
