18-19 mins freq for 39?? It depends on what time u take it.
For a weekday afternoon its jus ard 12-15 mins..which i feel
is gd enugh alr...compared to 852 or 855 which i can easily wait
for >20 mins. Worse still, very often i waited for 852
for 20+ mins and there it comes the 'sauna' bus (elbos).
Speaking about SMRT buses overtaking 39 or 85, there are some SL
who just ASSUME that nobody will board along Lentor Ave. I
have seen some switching to the ctr lane aft the Yishun
Stadium bus stop jus to overtake other buses..and not switching
back to the left aft overtaking. There's a bus stop right aft the
traffic junction and I wonder if there are pax who want to take the
bus how can they cut back to the left lane fast enugh? I'm not
opposing SL for overtaking, but they should do so appropriately,
not when there's a bus stop so near.
In fact, I've seen pax missing their bus becos of this..or becos
the bus travel too fast and can't stop in time (even though the pax
had flagged the bus early). I had witness it twice last
year. Once was a 854 at the bus stop after Lentor Flyover
(twds Yishun), the SL braked so hard but still stopped very far
away. In the end, tat guy jus flagged for the bus behind. Luckily,
no one was standing in the bus at tat time.
In addition, driving fast in the bus lane along Lentor Ave twds
Yishun during the evening peak hrs can be dangerous. What if one
car suddenly filter into the bus lane?
I agree that SMRT's schedule is way too tight..even the last
traffic light..outside Yishun Int also need to beat red light. The
record no. of buses i've ever seen beating that red light is 4
including 1 bendy..so dangerous!! esp when many ppl jaywalk
at that junction by crossing diagonally across. Nothing
happens then ok, dun wait till one day someone get knock down
again.
but does SMRT care? They even dare to say CCL dwell time is more
than enough.
Even once taking 856, SL keep on chiong even as approaching bus
stop. End up ppl miss their bus, unsafe to stop.