CW3: Jurong East Int - Larkin/Kota Raya II Ter

last SG · 2005-08-13T02:37:19+00:00

Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think anyone can walk into Tuas checkpoint to take a bus from there. I think passengers have to board the bus before it ent...

105090 SG

CW3 freq of 30mins.. many ppl who take it sure regulars..
yesterday even saw many students taking from the post office.. they looked sian.. prob long waiting time..

maybe HI shld make the Bandar > GP route a more regular service, and the GP > J East route as 30mins remains..? since many people taking CW3 from bandar doesnt mean they go to Jurong East.

and since theres the local and singapore route, the above suggestion can make it more lkely to happen..

but then, GP to/ from Bandar also has many ppl rite?

purplecrazed SG

GP to/from Bandar got people lah, but not to say that many... because there's also Transit Link svc 6.

Indeed many students will board CW3 from bandar or Tmn Perling in the morning because it's the same route to their school.

CW3 a bit "gila gila" one.... This morning because 2 CW3 buses came at the same time (one is SG-bound and one is local route), so the SG-bound bus decided not to turn in to Bkt Indah because the driver felt that since the local route bus is available during that time, it can pick up the rest of the people from Bkt Indah while he decided to head straight to GP.

But the problem is.... there was one school boy in the bus.... poor thing, he panicked and had to get down just after the traffic light turning at the start of the highway when he realised that our CW3 wasn't going in to Bkt Indah. I don't know how he settle his journey to school after that. If I were him, I'd keep my ticket to board the next Causeway Link svc. 111 Free-Of-Charge and complain to the driver that CW3 (which is after all, the same bus company) dumped me halfway because it wasn't going in to Bkt Indah. So I should use the same ticket to continue my journey.

Honestly, the driver this morning was very inconsiderate. He actually waved & horn at the local route bus driver as it passed by him but what was it for?? Just for the sake of a friendly greeting? C'mon, if the SG-bound CW3 wanted to skip Bkt Indah, it should SIGNAL to the LOCAL ROUTE BUS DRIVER TO STOP and then check whether any of its passengers were heading twds Bkt Indah, then tell them to transfer before hitting the highway. If I were the school boy, I'd be fuming mad.

And having seen this sort of incident with my own eyes, if I'm a resident of Bkt Indah and I happen to be in town, I'm not too sure if I wanna flag down CW3. Coz what if I ended up kena dumped halfway when the siao driver last minute decided to skip Bkt Indah?

hannwei SG

It happened once on 2005-10-15. A CW3 traveling from Gelang Patah to the town did not enter the big roundabout. I had to walk about one kilometer to get my car. This was reported to Handal Indah verbally about half an hour later.

At around 2005-10-18 0730, a CW3 going from the town to Gelang Patah did not pass half of the roundabout where I had been waiting for twenty minutes. I am not sure if you are referring to this bus. I had to rush to Gelang Patah in my car to catch the 0740 Jurong East-bound CW3. This was reported to Handal Indah through SMS a few minutes ago before I read your message.

hannwei SG

A Jurong East-bound CW3 encountered some problems, probably with its radiator or cooling system. The driver decided to stop at the Malaysian CIQ at 2005-10-17 0730 and tried to fix the problems together with the "time keeper", without informing the passengers what was happening. It was only after Handal Indah received complaints through phone calls and SMSs that it checked with the two staff at the CIQ. It asked the "time keeper" to "say sorry" to the passengers, but apparently the "time keeper" did not do so. Eventually, all of the passengers had to squeeze onto the next CW3 which arrived at the CIQ at 0800.

So, I encountered problems in all my three most recent trips on CW3, on 2005-10-15, 2005-10-17 and 2005-10-18. But admittedly, Handal Indah cannot be blamed too much for the problem on 2005-10-17.

Handal Indah has a number of good drivers. The best I found so far is a Malay driving a CW1. He usually wore a long-sleeve shirt inside his short-sleeve uniform. Just that it also has a few very bad CW3 drivers.

105090 SG

whoa! CW3 got daily nightmares one ah? Laughing
but aint Handah Indah buses majority Chinese man? (can understand cos boss is a chinese botak guy called Mr Teo)

purplecrazed SG

Oh dear... pity you... had to walk so far and then had to drive like mad to GP. What a hellish experience... Sad

Hmm... the bus which I boarded from Tmn Perling on 18-Oct also went 1/2 the roundabout just as you've described but I can't remember whether on that day I caught the 0710 or 0740 JE-bound CW3 from GP.... 'Coz these days, I decided to stick to either one of these 2 time slot as both are fine with me. If I want to play safe, of course I always hope that my bus get to meet the 0710 JE-bound CW3 on its way out of GP so that I get to swap. But if I'm late and I only get to catch the 0740 bus is also fine with me because by then the jam at 2nd Link has almost cleared and I can still reach JE by 0830.

In the past, I used to be kiasu, waking up in the wee hours of the morning, trying to catch the 0640 JE-bound CW3 from GP. That was because I used to start work at 0830 then but since my company is quite flexible, so recently I changed it to 0900 when I discovered that taking the 0710 or 0740 bus is a far better choice! The 0610 & 0640 JE-bound CW3 is getting is extremely packed these days its becoming a very stressful ride to work with all that crowd running out of immigration and pushing each other. And since I was already experiencing lethargy due to waking up so early, I told myself it isnt worth my money if I have to suffer like this every morning.

So now I find it very relaxing to board the 0710 or 0740 JE-bound CW3 except of course when some folks from Tmn Perling-Bkt Indah missed the 0640 JE-bound and ended up on the 0710 bus. But even if that happens, the crowd is not as terrible as the 0640 one...

But anyway, recently I also realised that CW3 has altered the timing of the 0710 JE-bound bus... for this whole week, I noticed that it only departs GP at 0720.... I'm beginning to sense that CW3 is trying to subtlely change the schedule again...

purplecrazed SG

Wah! How come you know the boss? CW3 drivers are mainly Malay men except for one chinese "uncle" called TONY (driver of 3105). Hehe...

Tony's a nice chap. Do you know that it was because of him that CW3 started driving in to Bkt Indah?? He was the only driver who started exploring Bkt Indah last time... but other staff at GP used to comment that he too "kay-poh".... At one time, he stopped doing so because his superior didn't like the idea but after a while, Handal Indah decided to give it a go. So all thanks to Tony! He changed the course of CW3's history. Haha... When you see him, smile and say hi.

purplecrazed SG

Concerning the roundabout...Well, there was one evening, a bus heading for Bandar first went to Bkt Indah and after that did not enter the roundabout BUT before he decided to give it a miss, he actually turned his head and asked whether anyone of us need to get down at the roundabout. And since nobody answered, only then did he feel justified to drive straight to Jalan Layang.

Honestly, isn't it rather confusing when sometimes the driver goes to roundabout first, then Bkt Indah while other times Bkt Indah first, then roundabout? Whether it's heading town or GP, most drivers do it according to how they like it. It's all impromptu or led by their mood swings. Confused

purplecrazed SG

I noticed one Malay driver who always wear his own t-shirt except when he's driving, then he wld put on his yellow uniform on the outside but unbuttoned. He drives the SG-bound CW3.

For the local route CW3, I like the one who's always wearing a cap with the flap facing the back of his head. There's never a day I see him without his head covered.... He's quite a cool person and very polite. If my mum happens to accompany me at the invisible bus stop, before he drive off, he would always nod his head at my mum as a sign of respect.

He's the one I mentioned who would turn around & ask the passengers first before he decides to skips the roundabout.

Anyway, does anybody know who is the tall Chinese man who never wears his uniform but always making his rounds at the various stations of CW1 & CW3? When CW3 first started, he was at the Jurong East booth "selling koyok" (meaning, he was the one doing all the promotional work with crowds gathered around as he tells people abt the new service & answering their questions). Sometimes I see him at Kranji, sometimes at Jurong East, sometimes at Tuas checkpoint. He's like here, there and everywhere. I'm curious as to whether he's someone high up in HI? Because he NEVER wears the yellow HI uniform but seem to be someone in authority.

hseochin SG

What uniform is there to wear if one is say @ boss managerial position owing the business ??? Uniforms are for those who (by their job roles) need to interact with the public so the uniform is for the public to identify them as from the company.

As for the 'behind the scenes' people running the whole show & key decision makers in the business, if they interact with the public that's 'extra work' to them.

As for changing/skipping of routes & stops along the way etc., maybe sometimes due to the traffic & vehicle availability situation the drivers resort to making some impromptu decisions @ the last minute BUT i consider it absolutely necessary they 1st CHECK with the passengers on board if anyone wants to alight before they skip the route/stops !

Such service & customer communication skills HI does indeed need to jackup among its staff !

purplecrazed SG

Yeah, I was just curious 'coz there was once I complained to this tall, Chinese, tanned-skin, un-uniformed man at the Jurong East booth concerning our having to wait 45mins at GP one morning before there was any sign of the JE-bound CW3, and his response was rather nonchalant. All he said was, "I dunno... for this matter, you'll need to check with JB side..." Then he dialled his mobile phone and pass it to me to pour out my grievances to his colleague at JB.

If he's @ boss or managerial position, then he sure didn't seem like he knew how to tend to the passengers' needs and problems. He actually re-directed my complaints to another colleague! If he's uniformed, I'd understand that some of the things we're unhappy about are not within his control but the fact that he seem to behave like he's the "boss" yet he didn't know how to tackle CW3's shortcomings.

Once I saw him at Tuas checkpoint sitting down to chat with the time-keeper. His manner was like someone who cared & wanted to find out how are things with his subordinate. So I concluded that in all his rounds at the different stations, he's actually more concerned abt the staff welfare than the passengers..

purplecrazed SG

On the contrary, another Chinese HI staff who's in yellow uniform (I don't know what's his name) could end up calling the office and barking/yelling at the person on the phone for not providing a bus for passengers going home to Bkt Indah-Tmn Perling. This was the man who ordered the fat Malay driver of svc. 666 to drive us back to Bkt Indah-Tmn Perling one evening.

It's funny, an UN-uniformed man going round acting like the boss doesn't know how to tackle situations when there are lack of buses but the uniformed staff who's apparently of lower rank could instead "boss" around the drivers, and apologised to the passengers for making us wait.

Like the title of an old sitcom "Who's the Boss?" - I see HI staff playing reversed roles.

105090 SG

aiya! Handah Indah people all so funny Laughing

This Mr Teo, boss of HI as mentioned, is a botak fella with moustache, if u wanna know.. He appeared on TV when he launched CW1 and says this is to provide competition because 170 has been monopolising for too many years etc etc Sad

Bout the drivers on HI buses, yeah.. i saw many malay drivers, but last week on sv22 to Permas Jaya, i board the bus with a chinese man driving.. then at Stulang Laut, have a ticket inspector come up.. chinese young man looking like some hooligan Laughing then when the bus crosses the high high bridge, he saw another HI bus charging up, assuming its the next sv22, the inspector started to abuse and scold the driver hahaha!

then the bus behind turn left and the driver *sigh*

still, this thursday (yesterday) saw a CW3 opp City Square, with NO passengers, bout 3pm+ how come? i tot the buses loop at kota raya but not terminate?

105090 SG

BINGO!! i think i saw this fella before.. but i think my version is a malay fella.. last time i was at Kranji, then this guy was shouting Larkin! Larkin! Johor! Johor! Yellow Bus!! and his hand was "sweeping" the customers towards his bus. then the SBS officer stand there and watch becos theres no 170 to sweep passengers into and a shiny coach-type CW1 arrived.

after a while the SBS officer taught the HI guy some chinese words "Huang She!" Huang She! (yellow colour) and some chinese words to promote CW1 after the HI fella treat the SBS fella one banana Laughing

dun think this fella is someone in authority la.. maybe just a volunteer or kaypoh promoting for HI or some kopi-boy hired by HI staff to promote CW services..

hate to say this.. but i noticed most people who take CW1/2 are mostly/mainly malaysians and singaporeans for 170.. can verify Confused

PJ_Quek SG

Not really, at checkpoint, people just take whatever bus that comes first. When there's no 170/160, people crawl over the railings and go for CW1, and vice versa.

105090 SG

bonus from Kranji Stn is that ppl taking MRT wil have transfer rebate..
if from JB side, can pay in RM, transfer rebate also no use Laughing

haha.. nowadays, on SG side both directions, i dont queue anymore, just exit the escalator and walk by the road side those long queues so rroublesome, esp JB towards SG side

PhyrePhox SG

From JB side I actually take CW… 10 sen cheaper ever since SBST had the fare revision. And you’re right.. the transfer rebate no use if you’re paying in RMs. You save about 50% in fare rather than 25 cents.

PJ_Quek SG

you can pay RM 1.60 on CW1 at Kranji.

PhyrePhox SG

Pay RM on Singapore side? Wah.. no wonder people rushing for that bus...

purplecrazed SG

Ha.hah... Laughing what a comical incident you saw...
So SBST and CW1 became friend friend because of one banana? Ha..haa...

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