In my own opinion, based on the list I posted earlier, if Double
Decker was to be deployed, the routes with DD deployed should
have reduced number of bus stops (ie. have (more) express
sectors). Hence, I
would personally suggest that the DDs should be deployed to the
Express (eg.502) bus routes, Premium (eg.536) bus routes, and those
routes that inter-connect towns (far away from each other)(more
than one)(eg.157). Those routes that inter-connect towns, such
as 157, should have reduced number of bus stops, while they are
deployed with Double Decker.
Singapore should consider experimenting this, by reducing the
number of bus stops on some (long) normal bus routes. This would
shorten travelling
time on those normal long bus routes, make it more appropriate for Double
Decker buses to be deployed and perhaps help to reduce/prevent jams on the
road and on the bus bay.
Perhaps Singapore should re-draw the island-wide bus network to
make it more suitable to have such bus routes operating on our
roads. Not to the extent of introducing Bus Rapid Transit
but there should be “bus hubs”(normal bus stops that are expanded
to accommodate more buses at the bus bay: already present in
Singapore) for commuters to transfer to other bus routes, between
the normal bus routes with reduced
bus stops and the normal bus
routes that are shorter (eg. Feeder bus routes).
Meanwhile, the Bendy buses should remain on our roads.
SBS Transit should consider re-introducing Bendy buses to
its fleet and deploy them to its own services (eg. the
ones originating from Clementi MRT Station and going to Ngee Ann
Polytechnic). The 2nd door on the Bendy bus should have "dual
function": Boarding allowed at bus stops with high number of
commuters waiting to board the bus, Alighting allowed at bus
interchanges and bus stops with high number of commuters wanting to
alight from the bus.
The length of a Bendy bus(18m) is 150% of an average Single Deck
bus(12m) and the capacity is (at least) 157% of it (130+ on Bendy
bus versus 83 on SD bus). Meanwhile, the length of a Double Decker
bus(12m) is 100%(same) of an average Single Deck bus(12m) and the
capacity is 160% of it (133 on DD bus versus 83 on SD). [Source:
http://sgwiki.com/wiki/Singapore_Bus_Specification]
Actually, DD and Bendy bus are about the
same in terms of
capacity. It is only because Bendy
bus is 50% longer(occupies 50% more space) that's why it is
"inferior" to DD. Therefore, it can be used
interchangeably.
Bendy buses should be
deployed to bus services with high flow of passengers (alighting
and boarding) at the bus stops they serve. Since Singapore
is land scarce, they
should be deployed to services that use "straight roads"(or less
number of roads, which means less turns required). Again,
Singapore should re-draw the island-wide bus network, to better
accomodate Bendy buses and make them more effective on our
roads.
Therefore, with proper planning of bus routes and proper
deployment to services, Double Decker buses and Bendy buses can
both co-exist in Singapore, and be used more effectively. Of
course, for these co-exist and higher effectiveness scenarios to
happen, Singapore should really re-draw its island-wide bus
network.
After all, the current bus network also has flaws here and
there. So might as well re-draw it to fix those flaws, while making
it better accomodate Bendy buses and enable both Bendy and DD buses
to be used more effectively.
I don't think your suggestions are valid for Singapore. As lemon
has mentioned, I completely agree with his points. And a big no-no
for SBST to have bendy buses. They have high maintenance and take
up a lot of space. Have you been to Jurong, Boon Lay, Bedok,
Tampines Interchange. Even though there are only SMRT operated
bendies here, the space is completely full. Where will bendies fit
in? There is no space at interchanges, leave alone roads.
Even a big stop like Little India becomes crazy when 2 bendies
come - especially 67 and 960 always come together - most of the
times. When this happens, it takes upto 3-4 minutes for the 166 to
just come to the stop. It is waiting behind these buses. Even if
their unloading time is lower, remember the loading time is same as
DDs. This causes, a longer queue, more space occupied at the bus
stop when 2-3 buses could have loaded/unloaded at the same time.
The problem with bendies is graver than you think.
I am not saying do away with bendies. The ones that are there
use them properly for boosting capacity of SMRT feeders/intra-towns
that need more higher capacity buses than WAB buses.
