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articles on the future of Singapore buses
Other
useful articles on Singapore buses
Looking for
another bus enthuasist community/information?
Bus enthuasist communities are very localised around the world,
and they can be difficult to locate especially if they are in a
language other than English or/and you are interested in overseas
buses. While the range of activities and coverage may vary greatly
between communities, there are some common activities that bear
some similarities with what Singapore bus enthuasists are doing. A
simplified list is outlined below.
What do
bus enthuasists do?
Common activities by bus enthusiasts
Here is a list of mainstream activities carried out by bus
enthusiasts in Singapore. Every bus enthusiast has his/her own
specialization to varying degrees and may focus only on selected
activities; it is not necessary to be involved in all of the
activities listed below. This list is not exhaustive and these
activities are also practiced by bus enthusiasts around the
world.
1. Joyriding
This is the most common activity bus enthusiasts perform. Simply
just take a bus and enjoy the sights and sounds onboard. While this
activity usually leads to many other associated activities, it can
be performed as a standalone activity and requires no additional
commitment.
1a. Journal
Some enthusiasts actively record a list of journeys they have made
and post them online.
2. Photography
Bus photography is very popular with bus enthusiasts because it
widely accepted evidence to claims, factual information and events.
The availability of digital cameras (as opposed to film cameras in
the past) has made this activity widespread in the community. In
forums, there are usually consolidated on monthly threads.
3. Bus advertisements
As bus operators are moving towards reducing the variety of bus
models, a photography subset of bus advertisements have recently
gained popularity among enthusiasts.
Full body advertising (alternative terms are used outside of
Singapore) are the most prominent form, and are a reflection of a
particular time period as these advertisements have short lifespans
from a month to half a year. A few high profile advertisers (e.g.
AKB48) have even gained attraction from the general public.
Some enthusiasts do actively maintain a list of bus advertisement
changes.
4. Video recording
Some bus enthusiasts use a videocamera to record bus journeys and
upload them to YouTube. There are two main focuses: the bus or/and
the route. Those focusing on the bus would usually record from the
rear (or the middle for B10Ms) to capture the sounds of the engine
and gearbox, while those focusing on the route would usually record
from the front of the bus. Videos that contain virtual tours of
selected bus models also exist.
5. Sound recording
This is an older form of recording (In contrast to video recording)
that focuses on bus performance, but is still practiced
today.
6. Bus tickets
Some bus enthusiasts would choose to pay cash to receive a bus
ticket. Because bus tickets are highly unlikely to be forged and
are more reliable than bus photography, they are highly preferred
by the community as hard evidence of an undertaken journey. Because
the journey details are recorded on the ticket, it can also be
accumulated to form a journal.
Enthusiasts usually do not collect bus tickets from newer
wheelchair accessible buses. These buses have thermal ticket
machines installed, printing tickets which can fade over time
rendering them useless.
7. Service guides
Individual service guides were originally used to determine the
correct cash fare of a journey. With the introduction of distance
fares, this role has been diminished and it is now used as
directional guides. Enthusiasts interested in bus guides would
collect one onboard a bus.
Both SBS Transit and SMRT Buses currently print individual service
guides, and on special occasions issue pamphlets and brochures from
time to time. Occasionally, Land Transport Authority would print
hangar guides to promote new BSEP services.
8. Bus spotting
A common activity is for enthusiasts to determine which buses
appear on a certain route for a certain given day. Unforeseen
circumstances which result in the deployment of a substitute bus in
place of a usually assigned bus is known as a cameo (there are a
variety of names used elsewhere, e.g. ‘unusual observation’ in
Australia and ‘odd-working’ in the UK).
Different bus models are usually obvious to enthusiasts, while
others may be harder to spot. Spotting is usually combined with
other associated activities (such as photography and joyriding).
Enthusiasts may also observe minor faults, breakdowns and accidents
of buses and record them accordingly in their journals. These
observations would then be in turn posted online.
9. Bus deployments
To determine which buses are not the usual deployments (cameos),
there is a need to determine which buses are usually assigned to a
certain route (deployments). Some enthusiasts maintain an active
list of such deployments and changes. However, it should be noted
that deployment changes are determined by humans and can change
very frequently.
10. Bus lists
A bus list records the basic profile information of any given
public bus, such as the chassis VIN, bodywork, and other technical
information. Few local enthusiasts maintain such lists, but this
practice is more popular overseas.
11. Technical and mechanical
Few enthusiasts may research into the inner workings of buses. How
does the turbocharger work? How does the tuning of an automatic
transmission affect the performance of the bus? What components
make up a complete bus and what roles do each component play? What
is the difference between an Ecomat and EcoLife? How are buses
engines maintained and overhauled? Technical know-how is complex
and takes a lot of time to learn and understand.
12. History research
Some enthusiasts would look at the history of bus transport in
Singapore. The scope is diverse, ranging from retired models,
defunct companies, historical photographs, historical route
arrangements, archived newspaper articles and more. The process can
be time consuming depending on the availability of such
information.
13. Fantasy companies
Some enthusiasts may create fictional companies with a fictional
fleet and fictional routes. In the past they have been published on
websites, but social media is now a more preferred option.
14. Route planning
Fictional routes may be undertaken as a standalone activity, with a
focus on improving public transport links in Singapore. These
proposals may either be proposed on forums or submitted directly to
operators and regulators for consideration. This activity has seen
increased popularity with the introduction of BSEP that brings
along new routes.
15. Bus model collection
Especially popular in Hong Kong, enthusiasts would order and
purchase scale bus models for collection. Currently there exists a
small local market where these bus models are actively traded
online and offline.
16. Paper bus models
A cheaper version of bus model collection, enthusiasts may use an
image editing program to design the bus model onscreen. It is then
printed out, cut and folded to form a complete paper bus.
17. Bus charters
These are similar to joyriding, only that the bus is rented
specially for bus enthusiasts to conduct tours and activities that
may be difficult to conduct when the bus is under normal revenue
service. These events are increasingly infrequent in Singapore and
in recent times face very challenging circumstances to successfully
organize one.
18. Simulators
This can be in the form of a first-person simulator (driving a
vehicle) or a third-person simulator (transport planning). SMRT
itself has a driving simulator that is used to train prospective
BCs.
Finally…One
GOLDEN Rule while conducting these activities
There is only one simple rule you have to follow. It is to practice
common sense: Stay safe, conduct your activities in a reasonable
manner, and respect the general public, operators, regulators and
fellow bus enthusiasts.
If you choose to ignore this one simple rule, you do so at
your own peril. You have been warned! Poor practices are frequently reported and
extensively documented, and they are widely condemned and
criticized by the community.
In any case, the author shall not be responsible for anything that
results from your use or misuse of this guide.
Changelog: Information updated as of August 2015. (Renaming
thread to 2015 is sufficient)
