SINGAPORE : Bus drivers may soon be empowered to change the
routes they take when they encounter heavy traffic.
SBS Transit is moving towards that direction by implementing
planned route diversions for its latest express, called Fast
Forward service 174E.
To cope with the high passenger loads during rush hour, Boon Lay
bus interchange now has a new Fast Forward bus service - 174
E.
The regular 174 service currently travels from Boon Lay to New
Bridge Road via the city.
Fast Forward service 174E will ply the same route but makes about
half the number of stops - 25 instead of 57 - and will terminate at
North Bridge Road.
This is expected to cut travel time by 20 percent.
Vincent Loh, Director, SBS Transit, said, "174E will be running
with five trips in the morning, as well as five in the evening;
these are during the peak periods."
But that is not all.
On selected trips during the morning peak hours, the driver will
avoid the usually congested Farrer Road, and instead turn into
Sixth Avenue from Dunearn Road to get to the city.
In the evenings, the driver can similarly avoid the slow traffic on
Dunearn Road, by getting onto the Pan Island Expressway from Farrer
Road.
Mr Loh said, "The non-express flexible routing is currently
scheduled, but eventually we hope to be able to do it live instead
of pre-planned."
In response, one commuter said, "It's quite congested during the
business hours...it's more efficient and I think faster in certain
ways."
The first such fast forward service was 97E, which travels from
Jurong East to Collyer Quay. - CNA