Bendy Bus at Changi Airport

leewan SG · 2009-11-07T11:51:04+00:00

sometimes see 858 with only 4-8 people on board and slowlyyyyy cruising down TPE...

TIB1232Z SG

Not true. Service 858 *is* still packed to the brim during peak hours on weekdays. For example, between 5.30-7pm from Changi Airport and the first few trips of the day on all days as the shift for most airport workers start between 7-7.30am.

Service 858 has rigid deployed at 12-15mins during peak hours. SBST deploys rigids at not more than 8mins for services like 24 and 27.

I do not want to provoke a SBST vs SMRT flame war, but it is sure puzzling that SMRT does not want to deploy the OCs on service 858 when ALL other SBST services have KUBs on them. Service 858 does see a number of senior citizens, as well as residents and stewardesses who tout luggage on board the buses frequently. The additional standee space does justify the need for a bus that can handle crush loads during peak hours. The fewer seats would be just about right for the loads during off peak hour. SMRT has the buses (WLDEP has buses transferred over), the OC meets the height, axle, length limits for entry into the basement terminals, and the opportunity (Changi Airport is fully WAB certified), but the operator does not choose to for certain reasons.

There lies the difference, not whether one can use DD just because one can use bendy!

I agree with you. When WL first took in OCs I had expected them to be deployed on 858 and not some 961 or 187. Also I feel that they can improve on peak hour headway because the waiting time can really make people frustrated. Moreover the load is generally high especially during peak hours.

TIB1186Z SG

Yea, it would be interesting if SMRT indeed had plans for Citaros to be deployed instead of OCs. Afterall the Citaros are genuine stuff!

Back to the topic on that bendy trial a few years ago, if I recall it was on service actually on 858. That was in 1999 using a box bendy. The main diffculty then was at Terminal 2 basement as there are a lot of blind corners, which makes it very easy to mount the curb. I don't think that bendy did more than 1 or 2 trips.

In addition, deploying a bendy would probably not be very friendly to other services (CGA is SBST territory afterall), as the trailer would block the berth behind it. This is quite an important concern as 858 and 53 often layover together at Terminal 2 for a few minutes, and laying over a bendy would mean obstructing either a slip lane (if the bendy is not to intrude in service 36's space), sticking the trailer out (so that means a svc 53 cannot layover there), or the main body sticking into the adjacent lane (don't think the airport police is going to be very happy about that). Needless to say, if a bendy is picking up passengers at Terminal 1/3, it would be blocking the berth behind it as well.

For the recent trial, I agree that it might be possible to test out the possible entry/exit routes for the upcoming Airshow shuttle. (IMHO I still think its not a very bright idea to jam up Changi Airport with the airshow shuttle, especially on public days, and splitting it between 2 terminals to boot).

TIB1234T SG

Yea, it would be interesting if SMRT indeed had plans for Citaros to be deployed instead of OCs. Afterall the Citaros are genuine stuff!

It was TIB866B on 858 that time when I saw it at WRI, picking up passengers, and I thought its 856.

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