Christopher Tan. (2013, December 1). Making buses more like
trains. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://ride.asiaone.com/
Plans to raise public bus service standards are gaining
momentum. A project to install new-generation farecard readers is
almost done, and another to put electronic destination signs on
board buses is around the corner.
The new farecard readers replace the previous ones installed 10
years ago. The replacement, involving all 4,500 buses, costs $32
million, said the Land Transport Authority.
Besides having larger screens, the new units show the amount
deducted, as well as card balance and distance travelled. They also
let commuters know when to tap EZ-Link cards when they are
disembarking - as doing so will ensure the right fare is deducted.
The replacement exercise started in August last year. By the end of
next month, all public buses will have the new readers.
"They are easier for commuters to read, especially senior
citizens," an LTA spokesman said.
The spokesman added that the authority is planning to install
electronic destination information panels on public buses.
The proposed system will make buses more like trains, which
display the name of each approaching station on LED panels.
Similarly, the bus version may display a landmark or housing
estate at each bus-stop. This will help commuters who are
unfamiliar with areas they are travelling to.
The Straits Times understands it will be a more sophisticated
version of what operator SMRT Corp has on its bus fleet; and is
likely to be rolled out as part of a centralised bus management
system that is being planned.
SBS Transit spokesman Tammy Tan said: "Destination information
on board buses is something we are exploring with the LTA as part
of their next-generation fleet management system."
The satellite-tracked management system will give commuters
real-time bus arrival information.
It will also allow the LTA to measure the punctuality of buses
accurately, as part of an incentive framework that rewards
operators for meeting or exceeding service standards, and
penalising them for failure to do so.
A pilot scheme involving buses on 25 routes - or about 10 per
cent of the total routes - will kick off next month.
The fleet management system will also allow changes to make the
industry more competitive.
Regular bus commuter Tan Pang Soon said the centralised bus
fleet management system "should enable LTA to have better
control... and ought to eliminate any lapses in service
deliveries".
The 24-year-old university student added that the new farecard
reader "is indeed better" than the previous one.
He said the readouts could stay on for a bit longer, "but I
suppose a balance has to be struck" between that and
efficiency.
Actually, TVmobile was a good experiment done to improve bus
services but it shut down since 1 January 2010. In future, should
there be another idea to have television in buses, perhaps there
should be silent shows with only motion pictures. This way, those
who want to watch TV can still be entertained, while those who
don't want to watch TV would not be disturbed by the noise from the
TV.
From the news article
published last month, it seems that in future, bus services
would basically be similar to train services and the buses
would have features currently only found in trains, such as having
Destination information on board buses.
