Do you agree with LTA banning of bendt buses?Write your opinion here?If you agree,why.If you do not,why and what type of bendy buses should you thing SMRT should take in.
For me i do NOT agree.SBS transir have their "share" of buses that can take in more people.Why not SMRT?
Technically, the correct phrase to use is "limiting the number of bendy buses" and not "banning of bendy buses". New bendy buses can still be brought in if SMRT Buses were to de-reg their old bendy buses.
Why ban?To me ,Bendy bus is better than Sbst's double decker in term of capacity and efficiency.
Limiting and ban is totally different o.O
Anyway, I think there should be a mix....Bendies should be used on feeders, Double decks should be used on long haul trunk routes.
I feel bendies are ok and they serve the primary purpose of ferrying a larger proportion of passengers from Point A to Point B.
Dont ban leh,Just limit it per services.
I love Bendy buses..
don ban it la.. like what others mentioned is by limiting it.
Originally posted by Ajen:I love Bendy buses..
don ban it la.. like what others mentioned is by limiting it.
yea.....
Bendy is good
speedy enough
can carry more passengers
So TIB770T, Wad is ur reason for Bendy Buses to be banned?
It is really a limit and not a ban. All the while, the number of bendy buses in singapore is about 313. SMRT can bring in new bendy buses to replace de-reg bendy buses, which we won't be seeing soon as this won't happen until 14 July 2014 when the bulk of MB0405G start to reach 17 years of age (TIB0838H expring on 13/03/2013).
dont argue anymore. now go study and get better grades and in the future you will be driving cars. you can even be the atas in lta and relift the limit.
Bendies for short distance high load....
Bendies form the backbone of most of SMRT's feeder services. Without them the feeder structures under SMRT could very well collapse.
Just imagine S804 without full bendy fleets...
I personally think should ban cos sometimes take out too much space at bus stop and cause jam..
i feel cars should be banned instead.
Not to agree or disagree but I certainly disagree why SMRTB don't want to buy double deckers instead, if the ban for bendy buses is valid. There is no law in Singapore to state that SBST is the only public bus company that is entitled to buy and use double decker buses only. And the stupid mindset of both companies not trying to get into the boundaries of even getting the type of buses to use. Like if SBST use double deckers, then other companies cannot use it, and TIBS brought in bendy buses, SBST can't really entitled to use these type of buses in the end (sad fate for SBS998Y and SBS999U).
Both companies are providing bus services to commuters, and providing the best way for smooth operations and most comfortable buses to them is the higher priority, not engaging to some senseless wars that deprive the use of specific buses for the comfort of commuters. This is called stupidity and childish in mindset in the so called first class public transport companies.
Look at Hong Kong, does KMB and Citybus are so completely against each other that one company cannot use double deckers/midibuses/regular buses??? No. They uses the same type of buses mostly, be it a double decker or single decker or midibuses. Moreover they can use the same brands, same models, i.e. Both KMB and Citybus uses Volvo B9TLs, Volvo Olympians, Dennis Tridents, Alexander Dennis Enviro 500, etc.
Unlike Hong Kong, our local companies not only takes the pie of the bus manufacturer and also the type of buses they should use. This is real dumb. If SMRT can bring in double deckers, half of their overloading problems is solved. Even if there is no such ban on bendy buses, I believe SMRT won't be bringing in more bendies, because space constraints for all depots and temporary night parkings.
Let's talk about the ban in effect. SMRT can still buy double deckers for their operations if bendies are banned. Building depots of higher heights in future will cater for the needs for double deckers to be parked in depots. And depots of multistories may likely be the future as I believe URA may/may not limit the land use of bus depots in land scarce Singapore.
Next, I believe LTA bans bendies in Singapore for the following reasons:
- longer bus queues along bus stops, especially those busier ones. This might cause other buses behind to wait even longer to load and unload their passengers.
- longer bus queues form in bus interchanges/terminals, this problem gets very bad in Yishun interchange, and WRI at some berths.
- longer parking spaces, which means more limited space in depots/interchanges may be taken up for these lots. (2 bendy lots can park 3 single and double decker buses with a little more allowances.)
I believe LTA has this kind of negative mindset that long bus queues along Singapore roads and bus stops are no good, which I think is bad. Other reasons I believe:
- longer vehicles tends to take up more space on the roads, thus bus companies may have to pay more ERP charges for the larger area of space they have to take up on the road (Not sure about this). (Btw, paying ERP for public transport, buses and taxis is another dumb idea from LTA). However this is more of the bus operator issue.
- These longer buses tends to block certain slip roads' pedestrian crossings, yellow boxes which may not be in favor of LTA's mentality of more free flowing roads for other motorists and pedestrians.
- Not cost effective (e.g. ERP) for operators, if the bus is empty during operation, and certainly cause more unwanted delays for other buses behind and takes up more road space.
- Complaints about the back trailers that tends to swing dangerously, especially on wet roads.
- Fire incidents on bendy buses, since they mostly have to work extra hard in order to hurl the longer trailer and more passengers since bendy buses uses the same engines as single deckers.
Generally Singapore roads are considered narrow and bus stops and bus bays are generally short and small and thus not really that suitable for bendy buses. Judging by the road conditions here and in Hong Kong (and also looking into population and road density in both cities), both are similar in many aspects, thus that's why I believe why Hong Kong operators uses majority DD fleet instead for so many decades.
That's why I feel that since bendies are banned or limited, then SMRT should go for double deckers instead and throw away that stupid mindset. In this way, they can solve the problem of parking spaces in depots and at the same time, needless to say to solve the problem of driver shortages.
This shows another inflexibility in our public transport system, when compared to other countries like Hong Kong.
Singapore First Class Public Transport System = failure.
Originally posted by jayh272416:i feel cars should be banned instead.
Then there will not be the need for any buses anymore, since there is no need for roads.
Originally posted by chickenlittle2:I personally think should ban cos sometimes take out too much space at bus stop and cause jam..
I stated my points above, which I agree too..
Originally posted by Whatdatoot:dont argue anymore. now go study and get better grades and in the future you will be driving cars. you can even be the atas in lta and relift the limit.
I agree too. From the way LTA wants to restructure the local bus system, and they are more in favour towards an inflexible rail system as backbone in future, the future of better bus services and networks seems bleak. Especially for people like me who only likes to take buses only.
Lol ban cars ? The government encourage us to take public transport mah then they also want to limit the bendies on the road. What is this man !
Originally posted by Blackerol:Lol ban cars ? The government encourage us to take public transport mah then they also want to limit the bendies on the road. What is this man !
Take public transport as in??? Force people to take rail only??? Look at the way LTA treat bus services and taxi services, such inflexibility and limited choice for modes of transport.
Funny mindset, no bendies doesn't mean end of the world, man.
for me....i rather a mix of bendy and DD, where some locations where high load is expected, DD still cannot use as a lot of restriction, bendy can kick into place, like service 66 at little india like that........but DD is better in manage high load at long route..like service 190
Originally posted by SBS n SMRT:for me....i rather a mix of bendy and DD, where some locations where high load is expected, DD still cannot use as a lot of restriction, bendy can kick into place, like service 66 at little india like that........but DD is better in manage high load at long route..like service 190
yeah...i think both companies shld hav a mix too...but will they agree with it?
Originally posted by vicamour:...
- Complaints about the back trailers that tends to swing dangerously, especially on wet roads.
- Fire incidents on bendy buses, since they mostly have to work extra hard in order to hurl the longer trailer and more passengers since bendy buses uses the same engines as single deckers.
...
Points to note:
Swinging around dangerously would only come along if the steering is turned frequently, whether necessarily or not. If the bus swings around dangerously in wet weather then likely its out of control.
Bendy buses used enhanced engines of single decks. It is true that double deckers use enhanced engines of single decks too! (from the VO generation).
I am cutting the technical stuff here cause it would be long.
kudos to bendy buses
nay to banning them!
nay to double decks!
Originally posted by TIB1224Y:Points to note:
Swinging around dangerously would only come along if the steering is turned frequently, whether necessarily or not. If the bus swings around dangerously in wet weather then likely its out of control.
Bendy buses used enhanced engines of single decks. It is true that double deckers use enhanced engines of single decks too! (from the VO generation).
I am cutting the technical stuff here cause it would be long.
Not really. Remember the Citaro G test? Lols. Unlike articulated semi-trucks, bendy buses have side hydraulic cylinders that prevent such yawing motion. The cylinders will move in relation with the steering wheel. Once the steering wheel stops moving so will the cylinders, therefore "locking" them. Its a hydraulic valve lock mechanism.
As for engine fires, they are caused by fuel leakage. The batch 1 Habits and below generation of bendies, some have manufacturing and assembly defect in their engine fuel system. The fuel pump and fuel delivery system(in this case, its using low pressure normal fuel injectors via a small hose) did not match up. Fuel leaked from the gaps. Once the fuel reaches the hot exhaust pipes its turned into vapour quickly, but fails to ignite as diesel fumes and the fuel itself is hard to ignite. Some source is needed to start the fire.
I myself personally would be glad to take a bendy bus than a double deck bus. Main thing is i cant sit on most seat on the top deck of a double deck bus as im susceptible to motion sickness, hence i tend to sit on the lower deck.
Singapore has only started to face the situation that Londoners (as well as their bus fans) faced 10 years ago.
Londoners hated the bendy buses. As they replaced the ironic Routemasters, many find themselves having to stand rather than a seat. (It's just like from our Merc O405 to KUB) Furthermore, there is no additional beneift from the Bendy's extra door they can board rather than the open-rear platform of the Routemaster. And then there's the fires.That's why the current mayor can't wait to get rid of them.
Singapore's story with its bendy buses has one major difference. Bendy buses were introduced as an additional capacity to rigid buses rather than as a form of substitution. Back then, they were considered more modern than other buses and (then) TIBS generally had the goodwill of the public.
An awful lot of buses were forced off London and replaced by WABs to comply with the accessibility requirement. It is not surprising for me to hear about comments on the KUB now because the DD WABs were described by bus fans in London to be "rattling plastic trash". Eventually, people got used to it, but they just simply tolerated it until they get the chance to voice it (which was the city elections. Singapore doesn't have this option though).
BTW If SMRT bring in double-deckers, I'm pretty sure some of you are going to scream. Volvo deals with SBS Transit exclusively, there are only Mercedes artics. What do we have next? From what turned out to be in the London bus scenes, these are the few possible options :