State of CT/ Citybuzz Buses

105090 SG

by Singapore standards, do you all know that paying 45c for basic services is already very cheap?? (45c for Primary, Secondary, ITE, JC) adults pay a minimum fare of 64c already. and as what PTC claims, concession fares are cross-subsidised by full-paying adult fares. (maybe the fare of 45c are understated, and adult fares are overstated).

also, Citybuzz main target are tourists. and yes, its fares at $1 is admittedly cheap. the minimum cash fare for trunk services is now at 90c minimum, and on board crowded buses. still, the freq is also deteriorating

Chinatown Direct services are targetted at Senior Citizens, though children gets a special fare of $1.00 for an Express Service. Freq is at 30-35 mins, means you cant rely on them to get to other destinations if you are in a hurry.

Express Services (eg.sv506) are premium services also targetted at working adults. Students can hardly be seen taking them, and they may not have any reason to, as express services cross towns for long distances, and which students go to schools nearby their homes... Rolling Eyes

of course, IMO, i dare say SBS does not really like concession holders as this means a decrease in fare revenue. one adult tap will yield 65c up to 156c. one child will only earns 45c.. of course the adult fare is preferred. and there is this pattern of BC disliking students and may give them "special treatment" i had seen it.. bahhhh.

still, many 45c passengers are picky when they uses BCP and prevent themselves from taking Express or MRT (cannot be used with BCP). so.. wheres the conflict? i guess the high fares are to deter certain groups of passengers from taking the services, which m not complaining as i excercise flexibility as an adult-paying passenger.. Very Happy

sbst275 SG

By right, I forsee a conflict of interest...

Students buy AC stamp, by right majority AC fleet should be deployed. This is service industry.

If they buy NAC stamp, then what sort of SBS buses would be deployed?

105090 SG

thats right. example is sv151 and sv74. Students or rather concesion pass holders all have to buy AC passes and sometimes or always get NAC ones.. if NAC pass take AC bus, top up 10c. why AC pass board NAC pass never rebate 10c ?? Laughing this is business..

sbst275 SG

They earn the extras...

Anyway, I never believed in using concession pass, NS time, forget it... Always end up NAC buses, no thks to them earn extra for svs that they did provide

If it is Poly/ Uni or NSmen, should be 25c rebate

SBS9889U SG

Originally posted by 105090:

by Singapore standards, do you all know that paying 45c for basic services is already very cheap?? (45c for Primary, Secondary, ITE, [b]JC) adults pay a minimum fare of 64c already. and as what PTC claims, concession fares are cross-subsidised by full-paying adult fares. (maybe the fare of 45c are understated, and adult fares are overstated).

also, Citybuzz main target are tourists. and yes, its fares at $1 is admittedly cheap. the minimum cash fare for trunk services is now at 90c minimum, and on board crowded buses. still, the freq is also deteriorating

Chinatown Direct services are targetted at Senior Citizens, though children gets a special fare of $1.00 for an Express Service. Freq is at 30-35 mins, means you cant rely on them to get to other destinations if you are in a hurry.

Express Services (eg.sv506) are premium services also targetted at working adults. Students can hardly be seen taking them, and they may not have any reason to, as express services cross towns for long distances, and which students go to schools nearby their homes... Rolling Eyes

of course, IMO, i dare say SBS does not really like concession holders as this means a decrease in fare revenue. one adult tap will yield 65c up to 156c. one child will only earns 45c.. of course the adult fare is preferred. and there is this pattern of BC disliking students and may give them "special treatment" i had seen it.. bahhhh.

still, many 45c passengers are picky when they uses BCP and prevent themselves from taking Express or MRT (cannot be used with BCP). so.. wheres the conflict? i guess the high fares are to deter certain groups of passengers from taking the services, which m not complaining as i excercise flexibility as an adult-paying passenger.. Very Happy [/b]

Express 506 has considerable amount(1-3) of students taking it in the early morning and afternoon, 3-5pm on each bus.

gorby107 SG

Those students are rich and can afford those type of expensive fares which they are just happily closing their eyes to give their money to SBST while they are enjoying the fast and shorten ride to their destination. Or maybe they are not rich and just rushing for times for something as not a lot of people willing to take Express Service so the bus can skip some bus stop and the journey is faster????

jonsteadinho SG

The fact is that on services that yield less income, e.g. industrial services where adults pay 59c to $1 compared to 64c to $1.64 on trunk services, standards tend to be lower. We must be prepared to pay more, as SBS is now run like a business.

105090 SG

yes yes, we know you are one of the students taking Express 506 regularly.. still, $2 a trip isnt really a lot to some ppl..

and yes, SBS is ran like a business, but then, tell me which service industry or company isnt ran like a business with profit-interests? if a charity like NKF is running better than a business, then the same may go to other prganisations as well. in singapore, with no subsidies and ridiculously high taxes, no one is playing santa claus.. and, no one will want to run a losing business right?

carbikebus SG

I think you misjudged everything about SBST bus deployment,It is PTC regulation that Some NAC buses should stay at least for another year.SBST Do want to scrap all those NAC buses this year but some internal issues hold that back!You think all peoples dislikes NAC buses,Think about some peoples who had problems with AC.Don't talk rubbish here and do a research at PTC ask them why! Neutral

carbikebus SG

Sometimes i find that Some peoples are funny,They don't mind paying extra for taxis/Clothes/Cigarettes but complain a lot about 1-10 cent increase Rolling Eyes
Want to own a car?Can,But be prepared for the parking charges/Fines/Maintenances/Insurances/Higher ERP Charges.I heard a rumour saying that once the CCL Phase 1 & 2 completed,The prices of a car will shoot ups to 3x more Twisted Evil C'mon lah at least they got some brains for senior citizens right?

Some Metroline Officials visit SBST Depots this year and commented that we are lucky to have quite a good bus frequencies,TV Mobile(Yes like it or not,They say only touring coaches had them not citybuses)and quite affordable bus fares although majority of SBST buses looks ugly!

iveco SG

Honestly, is the TVM really necessary? Tibs has never seen the need for them all along. I'd rather have Newsradio 938 on ALL buses instead.

We have good frequencies because the bus services are NOT subsidised at all, unlike in London. However, it is worth noting that some bus routes complement the subways during the peak hours. Compare this with the MRT rationalisations we had. Some bus services should not have been shortened or withdrawn, but merely reduced to peak-hour services instead. At least the trains won't be so squeezy.

sbst275 SG

There is a conflict of interest...

Passengers are simply left sandwiched... Orr, PTC regulation...

Needs to go and kokz PTC heads.

And simply, govt laggy, this is service industry, not they that control the aircon bus deployment. They say need to improve service standard, they themselves not doing it

carbikebus SG

Then ask them!

carbikebus SG

This are all commercials,Mediacorp proposed,SBST install them and still earns profit w/o having to maintance it(Mediacorp tech will do it FYI).
If you're the chairman and this kind of offer knocks on your company doors,Wouldn't you be doing the same too?Never came out a cent yet still earn profits.Think Exclamation

SBS9818A SG

Your statement doesn't make sense.

If the services are subsidised, the company would have more incentive to place more buses into route service since losses would be minimized since the company would be guaranteed some form of income whether the service operates on an ad-hoc basis or a conventional one.

However, if the services aren't subsidised, loss-making services would long have been withdrawn since the company would die-die lose money no matter how good or how bad the frequency is.

In a nutshell, never mess with an Economics student.

leeJZ SG

Not to "mess with you", but the company technically could also have less incentive to introduce new routes, because they are already guaranteed a form of income.

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