Is this sarcasm?
On a more serious note, the authorities who executed NEL
rationalisation would probably have regretted seeing NEL trains
bursting nowadays. This MAY happen to DTL
at anytime (although with a lower probability,
considering Sengkang and Punggol had developed a lot in the past 10
years, but this may not really happen to Bukit Panjang).
However, I can sense some places along Upp Bukit Timah and Bukit
Timah may have new developments sooner or later... By then all
those bus services (that may be possibly rationalised) may be
useful again - but the authorities will not revert the
rationalise to show how silly they are.
It is partly sarcasm (regarding the removal of all services
along the DTL corridor and cutting sv147).
In all seriousness, the survival of sv147 and many other
services that duplicate the eastern leg of EWL (sv2, sv24, sv26
& sv67 - even though sv26 may not be that brilliant an example
given that its demand is largely based in Kallang Bahru) had proven
that even if a bus service duplicates MRT lines extensively, it
does not mean that its passenger demand will drop to the extent
that they are not required any more and should be removed. Of
course, it is noted that this does not apply to all bus services
that heavily duplicate MRT lines.
As mentioned somewhere in this forum before (unsure if it's this
thread as well), I would prefer an integration exercise of both
buses and MRT (similar to those conducted for the NSL/EWL between
1988 and 1993) that not only see the withdrawal/shortening of
duplicating bus services, retaining of duplicating services that
remain in high passenger demand, but also the introduction of new
bus service connections to adapt to the opening of the new MRT
lines. However, I do understand that these integration exercises
had also brought about many of the current "long distance" services
such as 14 (from integrating with old 92) and 51 (from integrating
with old 192). Therefore, more careful planning should be
implemented when integrating bus services without causing bus
services to become too long in distance.
As mentioned countless times by other forum members, the NEL
rationalization was probably too harsh in that sense with only
sv147 left behind, leaving Punggol with no direct buses to the CBD
and sealing the destiny of express buses which could have
potentials to alleviate the passenger demands of NEL. And as
mentioned by a senior forum member back in the era, the old sv85
still had "significant passenger demand" before its withdrawal.
I'll not go into further detail on this issue again given that its
damage is probably not totally reversible and it had been
over-discussed in this forum with little to say effects in
"reducing" the damage.
With that being said, I do agree with user AJQZC that bus
services that heavily duplicate the DTL that see a significant dip
in passenger demand should be the ones that are withdrawn/shortened
rather than just cutting all heavily-duplicating bus services on
surface.
