A new bus service aimed at getting commuters to their
destinations faster was launched today. Called Fast Forward 97e,
the new offering by SBS Transit will call only at stops where there
are high passenger boarding and alighting activities.
Fast Forward 97e plys the same route as its existing parent Service
97 but stops only at 17 out of the 34 bus stops that the parent
service stops at during peak periods. With the additional traffic
management measures put in place together with the Land Transport
Authority (LTA), commuters travelling on Fast Forward 97e can save
up to 20% in travel time. For example, if a commuter takes the
parent Service 97, it will take up to 66 mins to travel between
Jurong East Interchange and Fullerton Road. With Fast Forward 97e,
it only takes about 53 mins.
To further improve on travel time, new Give Way to Buses Exiting
signs will be put up at bus stops along the Fast Forward 97e route
to encourage other road users to make it easier for buses to exit
from bus bays. These bus stops are located at:-
a) outside NOL Building, Alexandra Road;
b) opposite NOL Building, Alexandra Road;
c) opposite Normanton Park, AYE;
d) outside ITE Dover, AYE;
e) outside Jurong Regional Library, Jurong Town Hall Road;
f) outside HarbourFront Centre, Telok Blangah Road and
g) opposite HarbourFront Centre, Telok Blangah Road.
To make it even easier for other road users to identify a bus that
is pulling out of a bus bay, three additional LED signal lights
have been installed on the off-side and back of the new Fast
Forward 97e and existing Service 97 buses.
Bus lanes have also been drawn along the southbound of Alexandra
Road between Depot Road and Telok Blangah Road to facilitate a
smoother travelling flow for our buses.
During the morning peak hours between 7.30am and 8.30am, Fast
Forward 97e will depart from Jurong East Interchange and call at
limited bus stops along Jurong Town Hall Road, AYE, Alexandra Road,
Telok Blangah Road, Keppel Road, Anson Road, Robinson Road and
Fullerton Road. In the evening peak hours between 6.00pm and
7.00pm, it will pick up passengers from Collyer Quay and call at
limited bus stops along Raffles Quay, Shenton Way, Keppel Road,
Telok Blangah Road, Alexandra Road, AYE, Jurong Town Road and
Jurong East Central towards Jurong East Interchange (see attached
route information).
Details of the stops and estimated arrival times can be found at
all the bus stops called by the service. Commuters can also log on
to the Fast Forward dedicated website at www.ffw.com.sg for more
information. Promotional brochures are also placed at major office
buildings in the vicinity of these bus stops.
Mr Ong Kian Min, Chairman of Government Parliamentary Committee for
Transport joined commuters for a trip this morning. I applaud SBS
Transit for their efforts in offering this new brand of Fast
Forward services to cater to changing commuters needs. With the
introduction of more of such Fast Forward services, commuters will
be able to get to their destinations faster and enjoy greater time
savings, said Mr Ong.
SBS Transit Service Ambassadors wearing blue vests were on-board
all trips and at bus stops to promote Fast Forward 97e to the
commuters.
To encourage more passengers to try out this new Fast Forward
service, SBS Transit will charge a promotional normal adult fare
for the month of January 2005. After January 2005, commuters will
pay fares of $1.53 to $2.28 if they pay by ez-link card or $1.60 to
$2.35 if they pay by cash. This fare is the same fare as the
existing Express services. Similarly, transfer rebates will be
given but concessionary travel is not applicable - SBST Press
Release
Seems that LTA supports this service