Crowding eases after injection of buses
By Xue Jianyue, TODAY, 7 Oct 2014
By Xue Jianyue, TODAY, 7 Oct 2014
The number of bus services that were crowded during peak periods has fallen substantially over the past two years, following the addition of 450 buses under the Government’s Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP).
Giving an update on the programme, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the number of bus services carrying passengers at more than 85 per cent capacity during peak hours had fallen from 96 before the implementation of the BSEP to 38 in July.
The S$1.1 billion BSEP was launched in 2012 to boost connectivity and bus-service levels. Under the programme, a total of 1,000 government-funded buses will be added to the public transport network by 2017.
The 58 bus services that are no longer crowded during peak periods serve various parts of the island. Commuters whom TODAY spoke to agreed that the situation had improved.
Ms Shamima Rafi, 33, general manager of marketing agency The Events Artery, said she had noticed more double deckers for bus service 8,which she takes from Paya Lebar to MacPherson about thrice a week. She added that, with the double-decker buses, she usually manages to get a seat when she takes the service home during evening rush hour.
Visual mapping consultant Tay Xiong Sheng, 28, who takes a bus to work from Woodlands Avenue 3 to Boon Lay, said: “In the past, I couldn’t even board the bus. Now, I can find a place to sit almost all the time.”
Still, 25-year-old engineer Alex Woon said even though bus service 963, which he takes from Hillview to his workplace in Alexandra, is less crowded, he hopes its frequency can be increased.
To date, 144 bus services — or half of the total existing services — have been improved under the BSEP. When it was first announced, the scheme drew questions from observers and Members of Parliament, who wondered why state funds should be used to improve bus service standards.
Writing on Facebook, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said the BSEP has been impactful. “I receive far fewer complaints and much more positive feedback that bus rides are now better, more comfortable, more timely,” he said.
Mr Lui added that when he took on the transport portfolio in 2011, he understood that bus and train capacities had to be increased urgently and service standards raised.
Mr Lui added that when he took on the transport portfolio in 2011, he understood that bus and train capacities had to be increased urgently and service standards raised.
For example, bus service 966, which loops between Woodlands and Marine Parade, currently runs at a frequency of four to eight minutes during morning peak hours, and six to 13 minutes during the evening rush hour. Previously, commuters had to wait between six and 10 minutes in the morning and from nine to 16 minutes in the evening.
Over the past two years, 31 new bus services have been rolled out. Of these, 21 are run by public transport operators SBS Transit and SMRT, while the remaining are City Direct Services operated by private bus operators.
In addition, five supplementary bus services and nine Peak Period Short Services have been introduced in various housing estates.
The LTA said that, between July and last month, additional buses were deployed for 43 bus services during morning and evening peak hours. In all, 570 weekly peak-hour bus trips were added.
Separate from the BSEP and as part of the quarterly bus service review process, SBS Transit and SMRT have also improved 17 bus services, adding 60 weekly trips during peak hours.
Between this month and December, 100 more buses will be rolled out under the BSEP, said the LTA.
BUS trips have become less of an ordeal for commuters, with shorter waiting times and less crowded rides in the last two years.
Commuters' complaints sound softer as their waits grow shorter
They credit measures under govt scheme, but say more can be done
By Chang May Choon And Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 10 Oct 2014
Since the Government's Bus Services Enhancement Programme (BSEP) was introduced, commuters say buses are arriving more frequently, resulting in shorter waiting times, and that buses are no longer as crowded.
Mr Derrick Tan, 31, who takes bus service 70 from Serangoon to Shenton Way, has noticed that his waiting time has been reduced by at least four minutes, from about 20 minutes previously.
"The wait is more bearable. The journey to and from work is much more pleasant," said the assistant manager at a bank.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Monday that half of the existing 275 basic bus services have been improved, and 31 new services have been rolled out under the $1.1 billion programme since 2012.
There are now 450 new government-funded buses, in addition to the operators' buses. The LTA has also been working with SBS Transit and SMRT to deploy more buses for popular routes. By 2017, there will be 1,000 government- funded buses on the roads.
Over two days, The Straits Times tracked 30 new and improved bus services plying Bukit Panjang, Woodlands, Bedok, Orchard Road and Shenton Way.
It found that most buses arrived within 15 minutes during the morning and evening peak hours. Buses along services that have not been improved under the BSEP can take up to 20 minutes to arrive during peak hours.
Even the notoriously crowded bus service 190 from Choa Chu Kang to Orchard Road has been improved. On Wednesday morning, The Straits Times found that service 190 came at intervals of one to three minutes.
The improvement of service 190 and the addition of new bus service 972 has helped to make journeys smoother for Bukit Panjang residents, who are not serviced by the MRT lines.
SMRT also has service ambassadors stationed at high-volume bus stops to manage peak-hour queues.
These trainee bus drivers in bright yellow vests were spotted at a crowded bus stop in front of Block 270, Bangkit Road, reminding passengers to move to the rear and ensuring that others did not get clipped by the doors.
"There's still a lot of space inside the bus, but it's hard to get people to move in, so having the marshals helps," said Mr Shaun Tan, 31, a construction executive.
Some commuters said that while service standards have gone up, more could be done. This includes reducing the bunching of buses, shortening waiting time further, and adding more double- decker buses.
"The waiting times are still unpredictable," said student Jon Chan, 17. "Sometimes, the buses come within a few minutes, and at other times, it can take more than 15 minutes."
Despite the overall positive response from commuters on the ground, an online poll of 438 commuters conducted by The Straits Times found that 75 per cent of commuters have not felt the effects of the BSEP.
Many said that the bus services they use - which have yet to fall under the BSEP - are in urgent need of improvement. These included bus services 66, 74, 145 and 171.
Others said that buses already under the programme need further improvement.
Service 858, which runs from Woodlands to Changi Airport, for example, drew the most gripes, with commuters complaining about a long waiting time for the bus and a lack of space for passengers with luggage.
The LTA has said it will continue to work with operators on bus services that need improving.
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