LTA's New Bus Stop Poles (Part 2)

last SG · 2009-10-13T00:33:36+00:00

Outside/opp Harbourfront Centre & opp Vivo City bus-stop also changed.

SBS3688Y SG

I think majority of people do not know how to calculate and use the fare stages even if its displayed on the bus-stop plate. Also, I don't think most people can memorise what fare stage belongs to which fare band. I myself is also unsure, since I'm using EZ-link card.

But the bus-stop directory panel behind the bus-stop seats already displays the route details of each service no.including the fares. I think its more useful when determining the fares instead of the old small fare stage no. next to each svc no. on the pole.

I think the destination should still be displayed next to each svc no. on the bus-stop pole for easier reference to determine which direction the bus is heading to, since is common for buses to display the wrong EDS and side desto.

SBS8214Z SG

Agreed. Not everyone knows how to calculate fare stages. Just like me. Since i am using BCP, i just hack care transfer here and there. But that doesn't matter, since people always give trouble to other passengers.

Board the bus: "te te te te......."
LOW FARE
PLEASE TOP UP
PLEASE PAY CASH

then the person will put his/her bag on a seat or whatever, blocking others from boarding, taking out coins to pay the bus fare.

Let's not go off topic.

Tampines Ave 9(Block 496B) already installed new bus stop poles just now at around 7.30 pm. The contractor was taking pictures of the bus stop pole after work. Then he go off already I start to take. Registeration number of the lorry not sure though.

service_238 SG

Tampines kenna le, a lot of them. But lucky Tampines St 41 still haven kenna....

Loyang Avenue, Old Tampines Road, Upp Changi Road Nth, Cranwell Road, Netheravon Road all change le.

Add Pasir Ris Dr 3, 1, 12, Tampines Ave 10, Ave 9.

Yusry SG

Will you younglings spare a thought for those who have to pay full-fare?

I think once your CPs expire and you start wondering how come you were charged 91 cents instead of 69 cents will you appreciate the need for fare stage information to be displayed at the pole signs or route details board.

Until the day the Fare Consoles display bus stop code, will then I stop complaining about the lack of fare stages being displayed at the bus stop. Fare stage information may have lost its usefulness as a way to calculate fares, but it currently remains the only way to ensure that the Fare Consoles are correctly synchronised to the current bus stop.

For those who plan our routes in advance, fare stages are also useful in stretching your fare. Using transfer points, you can travel 8 stages for 88 cents instead of 7 stages for 91 cents. Or the fact that some bus routes travel further on 4 stages compared to others. For example routes 12 and 33 where 33 goes further than route 12. Or getting to Vivo City from Haig Road for 107 cents instead of 131 cents on the direct route.

service_238 SG

Will you younglings spare a thought for those who have to pay full-fare?

As long as they travel on concession, they may not go through the mechanisms of the fare system.

I appreciate the existance of bus service guides onboard buses and in the bus interchange. It is the only paper based information that has fare stages other than the Transitlink Guide. For those having the iPhone would more or less have the bus guide application inside. Using the bus service guide helps me to get a quick glance on the fare stages and have some idea how much I have to pay if i travel direct/transfer somewhere. If i have second thoughts about the journey, I would take the service guide and do some travel planning whilst on the bus itself, though rare.

If i'm in a rush I would rather pay 91 cents than 88 cents unless the bus that I can transfer to arrives within 3min or less.

iveco SG

What is the point of upgrading bus shelters or installing bus stop poles when bus routes can be pulled at a moment's notice? Sometimes it does seem like a waste of resources, doesn't it?

supremebull SG

Just out of curiosity, based on all your past experiences, whenever you realised that you were overcharged or your realised that the fare-stages were not correctly synchronised to the bus stop, what did you guys do? Talk to the driver immediately or wait till X days later then head to the Transitlink office to report the overcharging?

TownLink 291 SG

New poles invading Tampines Ave 7 & 2 Today

SBS9818A SG

What is the point of upgrading bus shelters or installing bus stop poles when bus routes can be pulled at a moment's notice? Sometimes it does seem like a waste of resources, doesn't it?

the service numbers can easily be removed from the bus stop poles. it's not that tough a job.

SBS9818A SG

got overcharged once ($0.91 deducted compared to actual fare $0.69), but decided to leave it as it is.. didn't bother doing anything.

Yusry SG

If fare stages are not right, I let the bus driver know. I have experienced this on a regular basis. Most of the time, the fare stage is just out by 0.5 stage. There was one time it was out by 3.5 stages, easily adding 42 cents to my fare if I had not caught it. (67 cents vs 109 cents back in early 2008)

If I am inadvertantly overcharged because I did not check the fare stages prior to tapping, then I do an online claim and get the refund deposited into my bank account and thus negating the need to go down to the Transitlink Office.

Getting the correct fare the 1st time round is preferable to making a claim, and that is why I still like having the fare stages at the bus stop. The fare tables can help me gauge my alighting fare stage if I know my boarding fare stage.

IE. If I know boarding fare stage is N and according to the fare tables my fare is 69 cents, then my alighting fare stage should be within N to N+4 stages. If not, I know the Fare Consoles are not synchronised correctly.

pumpkin on bus SG

Yusry, think u better let the bus companies know since u kena overcharged on a regular basis.

Just curious, will there be a case(s) of the fare stage wrongly displayed on the old bus pole? Or even undercharging?

I dun deny the benefits of the fare stage number being on the pole. But are there really so many pple who use this to check?

I read that LTA is going to do away with the current fare stage model and charge for the total distance travelled regardless of no. of transfers made. In such a situation, dunno if fare stage will still be relevant in the future.

Saw the new pole in Orchard Rd,outside Heeren and outside Park Mall bus stop. Looks ok lah, still quite colourful.

Hope they won't replace the famous x'mas tree bus pole along bras brasah rd outside the rendezous hotel, super iconic man.

Yusry SG

Yusry, think u better let the bus companies know since u kena overcharged on a regular basis.

Just curious, will there be a case(s) of the fare stage wrongly displayed on the old bus pole? Or even undercharging?

I dun deny the benefits of the fare stage number being on the pole. But are there really so many pple who use this to check?

Saw the new pole in Orchard Rd,outside Heeren and outside Park Mall bus stop. Looks ok lah, still quite colourful.

Hope they won't replace the famous x'mas tree bus pole along bras brasah rd outside the rendezous hotel, super iconic man.

I think you have misunderstood. Never did I mention that I am regularly being overcharged. I just said that the displayed fare stages are out of sync on a regular basis. Regular out-of-sync stages are normal as they are decided based on GPS. GPS is not very accurate in areas with tall buildings/structurs/trees and during very bad weather due to bouncing signals. High-sensitivity GPS receivers help alleviate this, but never completely.

Even if LTA is going to do through fares, there is still a need for some sort of distance measurement and using fare stage is one of them. Other measures may include fare sections or zones. Thus there is a need to display the current fare stage, section or zone.

SBS n SMRT SG

saw one whole truck with 10 plus new pole plus 20 plus old poles on tampines......soon the new poles will be spammed all island

bus555 SG

New poles invading Tampines Ave 7 & 2 Today

and 6... well i know is kinda lame

SBS3688Y SG

Will you younglings spare a thought for those who have to pay full-fare?

For me, I still prefer to rely on this to determine if I can maxmise my fare stage:

QX179R SG

awaiting simei to have the new poles..

n4l SG

For me, I still prefer to rely on this to determine if I can maxmise my fare stage:

I concur. Certainly makes much more sense than looking at the fare stage code at the side. Besides, you'd tap your card first when alighting before you're able to check the fare stage on the bus stop plate - where's the chance to inform the driver that the system isn't updated? That is...unless you always alight from the front...and in that case, the front is meant for boarding.

Yusry SG

What is it with people who talk or type before they think?

Once I know my fare AND my boarding fare stage, I already know what range my alighting fare stage will be in.

In other words, if your boarding fare stage is N (say 5.5), and your fare is 69 cents, you would expect your alighting fare stage to be in the range of N and N+4 (say 5.5 to 9.5).

In which case, you do not need to check the bus stop plate to verify your alighting farestage.

However, you still need to know your boarding farestage (which CANNOT be found in the new bus stop poles) as well as your fare (which CAN be found in the fare tables).

Yusry SG

For me, I still prefer to rely on this to determine if I can maxmise my fare stage:

"Hey! According to the fare tables, if I take route 33, I can get to Clarke Quay with 69 cents compared to taking 12. Yay!"

So A boards route 33 and happily taps his card without checking his boarding fare stage.

Bus reaches Clarke Quay and A taps his card to alight.

"Hey, WTF? Why did I get charged 91 cents?"

Poor A getting charged 91 cents because his did not check his boarding farestage which was showing 10 instead of 10.5 and ends up paying the same fare had he taken route 12.

Moral of the story: make sure you check your boarding farestage is correct before you tap your card. Alighting fare stage RANGE (in this case has to be within 10.5 and 14.5 inclusive) can be calculated if you know your fare and boarding fare stage.

If you don't check, you end up spending time going to the Transitlink Office or making the claim online to get back your hard-earned 22 cents.

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