http://www.asiaone.com/st/st_20051127_355340.html
By K.C. Vijayan
Nov 27, 2005
The Straits Times
BUS commuters have two major complaints: they are waiting too long
for the bus and resent having to squeeze into overcrowded buses,
the latest public transport survey shows.
The bus passenger satisfaction survey of some 1,000 regular bus
passengers islandwide also shows a dip in the overall satisfaction
level for bus services.
The rating, on a scale of one to 10, slipped to 6.4 this year, from
6.86 last year.
Commuters polled in the annual survey - commissioned by the Public
Transport Council (PTC), the industry regulator - said bus
companies need to shape up on these two fronts. They want shorter
waiting times and less overcrowding on buses.
These grouses are not new - they were among the top four bugbears
in last year's survey, the first one conducted. It was the same
story in a 2003 audit of bus service standards by the
council.
'I get tired of having to wait for 15 minutes,' said marketing
executive Johnny Koh, 35. 'What's worse, sometimes the driver
drives slowly.'
So, why has it taken so long to lick these problems?
PTC chairman Gerard Ee told The Sunday Times yesterday that
commuters cannot expect a 'miracle' and said motorists had to do
their part by staying out of the bus lanes at peak hours.
He said: 'There is a lot of room for improvement, but to put all
the blame on bus operators would be grossly unfair as there are
1,001 factors to be considered.
'We have to keep pushing at it. I don't think this report will
produce a miracle, but the surveys help us to look at areas to
tweak as we go along and improve.'
He said the PTC intends to sit down with bus operators and explore
ways to tackle the situation.
But things should get better with recent changes, he added.
For one, the Land Transport Authority has introduced, as a pilot
project - an all-day bus lane system on busy Orchard Road to
improve the traffic flow. If it is successful, it may be extended
to other roads.
Both the bus companies - SBS Transit and SMRT Buses - said they
would look at the survey to see how they can improve.
SBS Transit, which controls 75 per cent of the business, said it
has made several improvements, such as introducing eight new
services this year and lengthening the routes of another four to
cover more areas.
Spokesman Tammy Tan said that traffic congestion is not predictable
and is beyond the firm's control, but said the company would work
with the authorities to see what more can be done to give buses
priority on the roads.
An SMRT spokesman said the company would continue to try and match
commuter demand.
Despite the bugbears, the survey also had positive results.
For instance, seven out of 10 commuters were more than satisfied
with the services. Almost nine in 10 felt fares were affordable, up
from seven in 10 last year.
But commuters The Sunday Times interviewed yesterday want
more.
Clerk Tham Ngan Chan, 55, said courteous bus drivers do not quite
make up for having to wait 15 minutes for the bus, which takes her
from Jurong to her workplace.
Ms Catherine Tan, 45, a customer service officer who waits 20
minutes for her bus in the morning, said she has grown weary of
surveys. 'We have them all the time,' she said. 'But after the
surveys, the improvements are slight.'
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