I REFER to the report, 'Government to review long bus routes'
(March 29). Duplication of routes between bus and train operators
should not be the only criterion for terminating a route.
For instance, service 147 duplicates the North-East Line from
Serangoon to Outram Park. As a regular user of this service, I
notice that a considerable number of people, especially elderly
folk, use the bus service to get from Hougang or Serangoon to
Bencoolen Street or Chinatown in the morning.
The main advantages of long bus routes are a wider range of
landmarks and less walking distance between transfers from bus to
MRT. Those who have difficulty walking long distances prefer
journeys that are direct.
There needs to be a balance between altering the ratio of
commuters who make direct and transfer journeys in order to
optimise resources, and satisfying commuters' demands since more
transfers mean more waiting time. Waiting time in this case
includes the time required to walk from the bus stop to board the
train in the MRT station.
Tan Jun Jian
