Coming to the end of the long route
Existing cross-country bus routes to be reviewed, no new ones will
be added
by Teo Xuanwei
TODAY
Mar 29, 2010
SINGAPORE - In time to come, those long bus services that
traverse the island could become a thing of the past, giving way to
shorter services and transfers that get commuters to their
destination in the fastest way possible.
This is because there is a "really strong" correlation between
unreliable bus arrival timings and long bus service routes, said
Second Transport Minister Lim Hwee Hua at a community event
yesterday.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA), which has taken over central
planning of bus routes from the bus operators, is studying these
existing "cross-country" bus services which pass through several
constituencies to see whether they are really needed now that more
rail lines are being added.
And no new cross-country services will be added as those are
"really legacies of the past", said Ms Lim. "The longer the
service, the more there will be uncertainty because of traffic
conditions along the way that will be accumulated as you get
towards the end of the service."
Ms Lim, who is also Second Finance Minister, touched on this during
a ministerial dialogue yesterday at Kampong Kembangan Community
Club.
To reduce congestion on SBS Service
63, one resident had suggested re-routing some existing bus
services or allowing private bus operators to ply the route. The
service - which runs from Eunos Interchange to Bukit Merah and back
- is crowded with workers from Ubi Tech Park during peak hours,
said Mr Wayne Soo.
In response, Ms Lim said the ideal solution could be to split up
the route and have more connecting services.
The LTA had studied this with grassroots leaders for some time, she
said, but those from Tanjong Pagar GRC and Marine Parade GRC had
divided views about it.
Mr Soo also gave other suggestions to the Transport Ministry:
Changing the displays on buses to make it easier for those with
astigmatism and changing the location of bus information displays
at bus stops.
Another resident asked if a new service could be added to take
commuters from Kembangan MRT station to Parkway Parade. But Ms Lim
said anecdotal demand may not always translate to real
demand.
She related an example in her own constituency - Aljunied GRC -
where private estate residents had asked for private-hire buses to
ferry them to the main road. However, the service was terminated
after three months because of a lack of patronage.
Ms Lim later told reporters that with more rail lines being added -
part of the Circle Line will start operations from next month, for
example - the hub-and-spoke model could be a more viable solution
in future. Commuters would also be more receptive towards transfers
if they could save on waiting time and costs, she noted.
She said: "The consideration for you would not be 'If I do two
transfers, I have to pay so much more'. It would be 'Which is the
fastest way to get me from Point A to Point B?'
"And it may not be the direct service anymore. Because the direct
bus service cannot be faster than if you have a train service that
can link the two using a feeder service."
