More measures ahead to shorten bus travel times
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SINGAPORE: More initiatives are in the pipeline to shorten travel times on buses.
Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is looking at expanding the scheme which makes it mandatory for motorists to give way to buses exiting bus bays.
There could also be more bus lanes and bus hubs to drive up bus speeds.
Such measures are necessary, given that 800 more buses will go on the roads in the next five years.
Mr Lui's comments came as he observed operations at a new bus hub on Monday morning.
The LTA has completed upgrading works for three bus stops selected for expansion as bus hubs, four months ahead of schedule.
Bus hubs are bus stops which have extended bays to allow more buses to pull in at the same time.
They can accommodate up to three single- or double-deck buses in the bay for simultaneous boarding and alighting.
This reduces the average time each bus needs to dwell at the bus stops, shortening waiting and boarding times for commuters and improving overall journey times.
The bus hubs also help to relieve traffic congestion near bus stops.
Four more bus hubs -- at Marine Parade Road, Upper Serangoon Road, Yishun Avenue 2 and Victoria Street -- will be ready by the end of the year.
The remaining 28 will be completed by the end of next year.
Minister Lui visited the latest bus hub, at Bedok Reservoir Road along Block 121, on Monday.
He said: "For the first and second buses, obviously there aren't really time savings. The greatest time savings will come with the fourth and fifth buses.
"Rather than wait another round which may [take] up to a minute, [the extended bays] can actually help to speed up the flow.
"Having said that, this cannot be the only measure to improve bus services. You need to do more with regard to [the] mandatory Give Way [to Buses Scheme] where possible, to extend the use of bus lanes -- and LTA is looking into that."
Currently, there are 202 bus stops where the Give Way to Buses Scheme is in place.
To help commuters better manage their travel time, real-time bus arrival information panels will be installed progressively at the bus hubs, from the first quarter of next year.
Mr Lui said plans to develop an application to provide more comprehensive information to commuters, such as whether there are available seats on buses, have entered the next phase.
He added LTA will be getting volunteers to test out the system soon.
"We want to make sure it is properly tested and sufficiently robust, rather than put something out in a hurry," Mr Lui said.
"When it is ready to be put out, I think it ought to be at a stage where it is going to be of great use and of value to commuters."
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I don't think the 'Give Way To Bus' scheme is working very well especially at Yio Chu Kang Rd after Buangkok Green + AMK AVE 5 Intersection. The other vehicles simply ignored the buses, EVEN with their 'right turning' signal on.
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Put camera at all bus stops with 'give way to buses' scheme. Catch all those who doesn't give way to buses
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The Give Way one must catch...
Right now ppl think fine nia... Actually if any accidents occur, straight away charge...
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I think the LTA and our transport MP are still sleeping. Don't they know the Mandatory Give Way to Buses scheme is ineffective? Base on my observation, about 95% of motorists do not give way! And I believe most bus captains are reluctant to drive out if there's a vehicle approaching from behind as they are afraid they might not stop to give way. Even if a vehicle is prepared to give way, they might be worried the vehicle behind them may bang into them! That's my experience and worry as a motorist myself too. But simply stating that the LTA and bus operators will jointly pump in additional 800 buses is a little inflexible and counter-productive. There's no incentive for them to improve productivity. I feel that if the operators are going to buy some higher capacity buses such as double-deckers, then they should be allowed to buy fewer than 800 buses. This would help to improve productivity, save some manpower and even operating costs.
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Originally posted by SBS3688Y:
I think the LTA and our transport MP are still sleeping. Don’t they know the Mandatory Give Way to Buses scheme is ineffective? Base on my observation, about 95% of motorists do not give way! And I believe most bus captains are reluctant to drive out if there’s a vehicle approaching from behind as they are afraid they might not stop to give way. Even if a vehicle is prepared to give way, they might be worried the vehicle behind them may bang into them! That’s my experience and worry as a motorist myself too.
But simply stating that the LTA and bus operators will jointly pump in additional 800 buses is a little inflexible and counter-productive. There’s no incentive for them to improve productivity. I feel that if the operators are going to buy some higher capacity buses such as double-deckers, then they should be allowed to buy fewer than 800 buses. This would help to improve productivity, save some manpower and even operating costs.
It's always because people dun bother to slow down.
Which is why to get things to work, TP & LTA enforcement officers have to be patrolling regularly to weed out say 2/3 of the maniac driving offences on the road and expressways..
once you get the effect, ppl will have to obey the rule and slow down when approaching those bus stops.
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Originally posted by SBS3688Y:
I think the LTA and our transport MP are still sleeping. Don’t they know the Mandatory Give Way to Buses scheme is ineffective? Base on my observation, about 95% of motorists do not give way! And I believe most bus captains are reluctant to drive out if there’s a vehicle approaching from behind as they are afraid they might not stop to give way. Even if a vehicle is prepared to give way, they might be worried the vehicle behind them may bang into them! That’s my experience and worry as a motorist myself too.
But simply stating that the LTA and bus operators will jointly pump in additional 800 buses is a little inflexible and counter-productive. There’s no incentive for them to improve productivity. I feel that if the operators are going to buy some higher capacity buses such as double-deckers, then they should be allowed to buy fewer than 800 buses. This would help to improve productivity, save some manpower and even operating costs.
Then what about comfort?? If SBS and SMRT buy 800 facelift Citatos or Citaro Gs and start to cope with overcrowding then everyone can ride comfortable and more frequent buses!!! -
Originally posted by SMB228X:
Then what about comfort?? If SBS and SMRT buy 800 facelift Citatos or Citaro Gs and start to cope with overcrowding then everyone can ride comfortable and more frequent buses!!!
Comfort?Take 10 person standing on a MAN full liao, bo pian wait for next bus...
so waiting at bus stop in the evening is fun?
More frequent buses? But each bus carry how many ppl and more bus = more capacity = same travelling time?
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Originally posted by sbst275:
Comfort?Take 10 person standing on a MAN full liao, bo pian wait for next bus...
so waiting at bus stop in the evening is fun?
More frequent buses? But each bus carry how many ppl and more bus = more capacity = same travelling time?
Crowd everybody on the same bus of cos become slow and uncomfortable and people say our public transport sucks!!! They should wait for next empty Citaro! -
Originally posted by sbst275:
It's always because people dun bother to slow down.
Which is why to get things to work, TP & LTA enforcement officers have to be patrolling regularly to weed out say 2/3 of the maniac driving offences on the road and expressways..
once you get the effect, ppl will have to obey the rule and slow down when approaching those bus stops.
' Ya. And nowadays, the "cat and mouse" game is no longer effective as motorists are getting much smarter than before. If an LTA officer is spotted along the road, how many would dare to intrude Bus Lanes and not give way to buses exiting? And now another common phenomenon; more and more motorists stopping and parking boldly at bus-stops, esp near MRT stns and bus-stops in front of coffeeshops and cafes. Buses are forced to stop outside the bus-stop and pax got to alight and walk through. Worse still, how a wheelchair pax going to board and alight? -
CCTV is your friend
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Originally posted by SMB228X:
Crowd everybody on the same bus of cos become slow and uncomfortable and people say our public transport sucks!!! They should wait for next empty Citaro!
how fast can buses go during peak hrs?Empty? Got logic or not? Peak hrs empty bus?
I think bus co no money to buy Citaro even.
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I hope as many as possible of the 800 buses are double deckers.
Even if frequency doesn't increase, at least there is more comfort and safety for passengers.
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Originally posted by sbst275:
how fast can buses go during peak hrs?Empty? Got logic or not? Peak hrs empty bus?
I think bus co no money to buy Citaro even.
Empty peak hour buses because they always come together!! First bus keep stopping try to squeeze few more people inside. Behind bus then queue behind cannot overtake. Once bus full it should not stop to board and let behind bus take people!1.1 billion is the only chance for SBS and SMRT to buy Citaros!
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Originally posted by alize:
I hope as many as possible of the 800 buses are double deckers.
Even if frequency doesn't increase, at least there is more comfort and safety for passengers.
Citaros are safe and comfortable!!! -
Originally posted by SMB228X:
Empty peak hour buses because they always come together!! First bus keep stopping try to squeeze few more people inside. Behind bus then queue behind cannot overtake. Once bus full it should not stop to board and let behind bus take people!1.1 billion is the only chance for SBS and SMRT to buy Citaros!
Sure or not? That's SMRT 961 which is skipping bus stop king.. I think I can crown 852 alrdy..Today 1x 852 Citaro overtake SBS bus smack at a bus stop along Bt Timah Rd.
CITARO skipping bus stop!!! Sure empty one ma!!!
You see 170 this evening, even at 1 pt headways was like 8 mins still packed.
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Citaro G is safe?
Take a look at how 960 has to suffer at Bt Panjang roundabout.
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That said, 170 could be packed this evening was because CW2 & SJE gone totally ninja w/ PIE jam...
Actually the CW2 & SJE ops is not sustainable. Same goes to CW1 & CW5.. Cos driver no layover at all... Jam makes problem worst.
CW1, CW2, CW5 drivers are just driving w/ little rest.
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Originally posted by SMB228X:
Crowd everybody on the same bus of cos become slow and uncomfortable and people say our public transport sucks!!! They should wait for next empty Citaro!
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Oh yah
How come buses can be 1 packed 1 empty if the frequency is 10 mins? Unless all anyhow didn't adhere to schedule. 961 is one good example.
So the actual freq of the bus isn't 10 mins. It's 15 - 20 mins...
More frequent w/ Citaro?
What a joke in reality...
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Originally posted by SMB228X:
Empty peak hour buses because they always come together!! First bus keep stopping try to squeeze few more people inside. Behind bus then queue behind cannot overtake. Once bus full it should not stop to board and let behind bus take people!1.1 billion is the only chance for SBS and SMRT to buy Citaros!
Then no one alighting? -
Originally posted by sbst275:
Then no one alighting?
People never press bell every stop open exit door????? -
Originally posted by SMB228X:
People never press bell every stop open exit door?????Only if the driver see signs of people alighting there.
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Originally posted by SMB228X:
Citaros are safe and comfortable!!!More capacity mah. If more buses are double decker, even if frequency remains the same, passengers can sit or squeeze less.
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Originally posted by SMB228X:
People never press bell every stop open exit door?????
Even so, dun need to slow down approaching bus stop?Assume the overtaken bus is still in bay?
Assume... Is a dangerous thing.