15 buses were removed from 179 during the 0630-0730 peak period
since 26 January. Now, there are 9 buses on 179 during the
0630-0730 peak period. From 2 February, 5 buses will be added
(back) to 179 during the 0630-0730.
As a commuter of 179 myself, and having heard about comments
made by other commuters on the bus these days, the response to this
removal of 15 buses was, obviously, negative.
Do you know how many people take 179 every weekday morning
between 0630 to 0730? Most of them are students who need to reach
school by a certain time. 179 to us is like a feeder service to
Pioneer MRT Station. We take it because it provides a faster
connection to MRT than 243. Yet, it is operated quite poorly during
the 0630-0730 when we need it most.
Previously, buses come in twos and threes. Now, buses are
removed, while buses still come in twos and threes.
If the removal of 15 buses is to divert the demand for 179 to
243, this is not a good measure. If it is not financially
sustainable to have so many buses running 179 all the way into NTU
before coming out to serve us, the possible alternatives are
1. short-working trip of 179 to connect Pioneer Road North to
Pioneer MRT Station.
2. new bus connection between Pioneer MRT Station and Jurong
West Street 71 and Jurong West Street 81.
I believe when LTA reads the data from Ez-link carders, they
would observe that there is a relatively large number of people
taking bus service 179 and 241 from Pioneer Road North to Pioneer
MRT Station, and a sizeable number of people who takes 243G,
alights at that bus stop at Pioneer Road North and take
179/241/241A to Pioneer MRT Station.
If LTA sends its people down to Jurong West Street 61 and Jurong
West Street 71 during morning peak hour, they should observe that
there is a significant number of people walking from Jurong West
Street 71 to Pioneer MRT Station.
There is a sustainable demand for a bus connection between
Pioneer MRT Station and Jurong West Street 71, 81 and 91. While
there is 241 serving Jurong West Street 91, there is no bus service
serving Jurong West Street 71 and 81 – except 179 and 241 along
Pioneer Road North.
There should be a bus service between Pioneer MRT Station and
Jurong West Street 71 and 81.
Actually, there is no need for svc 179 to operate at
3-5 minutes interval, between 0630-0730. There is basically not so
much people heading in and out NTU, or the loading along Pioneer Rd
Nth, does not justify the need to operate at such frequency with
the presence of Service 241. A more appropriate frequency
at 5 to 7 mins should be good enough to cater the crowd and
reduce the instances of bunching.
At the same time, adjustment had been made to service 179A, to
increase a number of 179 trips.