Waited for 45 minutes for TIBS 61

last SG · 2004-03-14T16:26:59+00:00

AFAIK, in Los Angeles, I had the experience of waiting AN HOUR for a bus. If life in Singapore were so ideal everyone would be very happy, obviously. But thi...

iamgoondu SG

This evening I had waited for 45 minutes for TIBS 61.

I waited for TIBS61 outside Sri Marimann Temple (South Bridge Road) at 1820h. The bus arrived at 1908h.

During the wait, 2 no of SBST 197, 2 no of SBST 166, 2 no of CSS 608 and even 2 no of SBST 145 had passed.

Frequency for TIBS 61 is 12-14 minutes, a waiting time of 45 minutes is simply unbearable, unacceptable.

One commuter asked the bus driver, why such a long wait? And the driver answered apolegetically "Flood causing a heavy jam."

Is there a flood at that hour? Anyway I had sent a complaint to TIBS and PTC (sent email to [email protected], I got this from their website, seems like [email protected] is more likely), let's hope that PTC will closely monitor TIBS61 in their upcoming audit.

SBS9816E SG

Well yes... some parts of Singapore are flooded becos of today's rain. Lots of vehicles have to travel on the roads slowly and therefore a jam would come in. If you have look through the TIBS Svc Guide that is put on the racks of the buses, it's clearly stated that "Adverse Traffic and Weather Conditions, and even passenger activities may affect the frequency of the service and journey time." This does apply to SBST bus services as well. Therefore, don't grumble if buses come in at a higher frequency. I've ever waited Sv 105 for 1 hour and 15 mins during a day, whereby there was adverse traffic and weather condition.

service_238 SG

1 hr 15min?! I'd rather take some other services by then... hahaha...

iamgoondu SG

I would not have waited for 1h 15min, my max would be 45 minutes. However it is possible that there is no alternative services.

Perhaps it's time for PTC to fulfil their role, to establish a communication systems between bus captains and HQ officer. The bus captains may update of road conditions and bus load via walkie talkie to their HQ officer. The HQ officer may then relay the information to other bus captains.

For instance, bus captain of CSS608 if have a walkie talkie may receive information from HQ, and inform commuters at busstops of adverse road conditions which may affect TIBS61...

GPS??? Just another blood sucking machine ..

World Class Transportation System? I .....

SBS9818A SG

There was indeed a flood and don’t forget the great Jln Eunos jam during that period.

iamgoondu SG

Indeed there is a flood, however can we just brush it off? I meant shouldn't they establish a kind of communication systems that allows downsteam commuters to know that bus will allow late.....

And should they despatch some buses at some convenient points? Why SBST 197, SBST 166, SBST 145 and CSS608 not affected at all???

Superbus SG

Because the other services you mentioned wasn't stuck in the floods, like Service 61.

Cheers and warm regards

BlessingSatan SG

Ya true indeed,Man!

iamgoondu SG

So it seems the flood affected a pretty small area huh??! Only TIBS 61 affected.

service_238 SG

IN Singapore, wait long long if u want to have a communication system and despatch of emergency buses like these. Singaporeans are so typical that they love to follow instructions STRICTLY. So strictly that there's no room for flexibility. I sometimes find it sickening. Twisted Evil

Superbus SG

Well, I do not know if you watched the news and read the papers. Geylang/Paya Lebar/Telok Kurau/Tanjong Katong areas were the worst hit on Thursday, worst flooding in 36 years. Too bad I don't have a scanner. If not, I can show the picture where the Habit bus was pushed by 10 students from a nearby school when the bus was stuck at Jalan Turi.

Many other services were affected by the floods, not just Service 61. It's just too bad that it 'seemed' Service 61 was the 'worst' hit service due to the floods and massive jams at Geylang.

Cheers and warm regards

iamgoondu SG

I am very well aware of the jams, cars being soaked in water in car parks, and worst hit area is CISCO building near Eunos.....

What I want to bring up here is 'Shouldn't we have a communication system to inform downstream commuters of a massive jams, and to despatch buses at some convenient points???'

Doesn't TIBS HQ aware of the massive jams at Eunos? Doesn't their officers aware of their buses being locked up in waters and jams??? Doesn't the officers feel a need to despatch buses from other routes???

When LRT breakdown, SMRT had a backup plan, recall TIBS buses to ply on LRT route.

Bukit TImah is a flood prone area, and the schools there even have back up plans to pick up their students if there is a flood during examinations period.

Back up!!! Doesn't our bus companies has any back up plan if there is a massive jams????

Our meteorlogical office had predicted another thunderstorm on 21-22 March, are our bus companies prepared for another massivve jams???

Should we just suffer in silence???

service_238 SG

Sigh... so much for 'world class transportation system'
more like world class in sticking strictly to instructions only.

SBS9818A SG

Of course they are aware, but why send buses when they know traffic will definitely be clogged!

iamgoondu SG

Please... I meant send buses from a convenient and alternative routes...

You meant send additional support buses to Eunos interchange and start plying from there???

Mr. Green

You are so cute!!!

SBS9818A SG

It's not convenient for TIBS to send in a bus halfway through the route. This isn't morning operations, after all.

service_238 SG

Why the long waiting times? Very easy... Sometimes things like a casualty on the bus or an accident can explain why. Since the driver cant make it in time to the int/terminal, so the driver would have to start from a convenient place that he is from and it matches with the timesheet. This sentence was freshly given to me by SBS 9817 C's driver this morning.

There was a casualty in the bus. A late-50s lady had nose bleed and her knee fractured after the bus halted because of a car that has cut into his lane without signalling. When he alighted all the passengers at the next stop, he told me about this as i was looking at his timesheet Mr. Green

Cut off date for 56 Saturday Timesheet: 06/09/2003

iamgoondu SG

So it is more convenient to ignore the long waiting times suffered by commuters.

Why not convenient??? Why TIBS can't despatch a bus from Suntec terminal to start plying from City Hall station??? There is high demand for TIBS 61 from City Hall to Bukit Batok.

If TIBS has no spare buses, then PTC should require all bus companies to have a fleet of standby buses for unforseen circumstances.

Do you know that commuters in Commonwealth Drive are served only by TIBS 61???? Any for myself I prefer TIBS61 for it stops at Holland Ave.

off_service SG

All companies have their constraints and ways of doing things. If let's say the buses are stuck at this place due to a jam, deploying all the buses they have onto the affected service has no use at all as all will be stuck.

There's no use crying split milk over this. Be content with the current bus service. We might not see buses on the road next time.

iamgoondu SG

Please... i am not asking them to deploy buses right where it break down....And I am not requesting them to dispatch another bus when the earlier bus breakdown, the next bus will probably arrive in 15 minutes right??? Waiting for 30 minutes may not be too bad. For that particular incident, where the flood affected Eunos area and affected TIBS61, they could deploy buses from City Hall and start plying from there....

I am contented with the current bus services, not when they proclaimed 'World Class Transportation..'