Optimum Utilization of Double Deckers
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Do we think SBS Transit is making optimum utilization of double decker buses? What is the criteria used to deploy Double decker buses?
I feel some routes like 97, 151, 153, 166 do not deserve to be double deckers as they do not have more than 30 people at most times (166 gets full only between Little India & Ang Mo Kio).
There are routes like 16, 33, 63, 195 that have a heavy patronage but are only SD and DD are not experimented on them - may be there is a height clearance issue, but then SBS Transit should try to re-org the buses so that the high capacity ones get the DDs.
My thread is basically to get a list of routes for SBS Transit through our experience where it should deploy DDs.
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Originally posted by BusAnalayzer:
Do we think SBS Transit is making optimum utilization of double decker buses? What is the criteria used to deploy Double decker buses?
I feel some routes like 97, 151, 153, 166 do not deserve to be double deckers as they do not have more than 30 people at most times (166 gets full only between Little India & Ang Mo Kio).
There are routes like 16, 33, 63, 195 that have a heavy patronage but are only SD and DD are not experimented on them - may be there is a height clearance issue, but then SBS Transit should try to re-org the buses so that the high capacity ones get the DDs.
My thread is basically to get a list of routes for SBS Transit through our experience where it should deploy DDs.
SBS should use bendy bus for short distances!!!
241A down stairs full up stair nobody who want to stand upstairs for 3 bus stops??????
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This is not discussion of bendy v/s double deckers. It is to understand which routes can be used for double deckers and which should not.
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Originally posted by BusAnalayzer:
This is not discussion of bendy v/s double deckers. It is to understand which routes can be used for double deckers and which should not.
Then the only way to solve 16 33 63 195 is to add more Citaros and BCs!!! -
Firstly, sbst do conduct analysis of routes using data from the commuting data from their fare consoles. This has very accurate rate of detecting time belts and bus stops on a particular route that have high amounts of boarding or onboard the bus, so as to deploy double decks on such time belts or even downroutes and branch services e.g. 195A etc as required. Or basically to say, its entirely demand driven, if there's the demand, they will put it in as they have done for 52, 334 just to name a few.
By doing this, you can see the big overview of where passengers head to at what time. Whatever you have mentioned is just a small portion of the picture which you felt there's not a need for dd, but it does not mean the rest of the route, or at other times dont need their double decks.
One most important thing to understand is that most sbst services do not run directly to their destination, and can have very very high peak loading only on a certain portion of the route. This is evident on svc195. Unless reorganisation is done to remove such non-directness of services, you cant have routes that are entirely high capacity from end to end. Thus there will alawys be dds that seemed not to be utilised complete as you have seen.
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TS need to open eyes bigger.
All services cited that "do not need DD" do need them.
DDs are not there for no reason.
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One route I don't understand: 74 -
I would say its 165 that no longer needs as many DDs.
CCL has really makan much of its crowd.
But 74.
74 is a horror case with full-day high loadings.
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I agree with Bus Stoppings' analysis but I feel DDs are still underutilized. There are routes like 195 that really need it.
Watch out for the route between Tiong Bahru and Depot road. Also, the route is full of pax between Alexandra Hospital and Queenstown. A small route modification can help DDs be used on 195.
I agree 165 does not need DDs anymore. But 74 definitely needs.
What about 97, 151 and 153? At which stretches are these buses full?
I think if pax > 40, then DD makes sense, coz most SD have only 31-35 seats. Also, if you notice 195 and 16, at times there are around 30 standing pax. Though Citaros mention 55 standees allowed, it is not practically possible to have more than 30 standing pax and it gets really uncomfortable.
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151's loading depends a lot on whether fellow 154 is playing nonsense games. Both services have BCs that are unwilling to take in the crowd at Toa Payoh and Bukit Timah.
And 151 has got high loading on all parts of route from HG to Kent Ridge depending on time, while the ride back sees most of the crowd disappear at Toa Payoh.
153 has high loading at Toa Payoh to HG.
97's is at town.
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Nonsense games as in??
Your analysis makes sense. I have taken 151 from Kent Ridge to Botanic Gardens, and I was on the upper deck, calculating for fun the number of pax, and no where on the route it went above 20 pax.
Same with 97 - taken from Harbourfront to Normantan Park and is not more than 30 pax.
But sometimes routes like 2, 7, 12, 147, 197 have SDs when these are always high capacity routes and there should be a full DD deployment on them.
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Yeah well. I love the DD slot that leaves KRT at 1535 on weekdays. Practically empty.
But 151's loading is unpredictable.
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97 demands can be high during peak hours. -
97's peak loading is between AYE and Harbourfront/Robinson Rd during the morning peak. In addition loads at MBS may vary and DDs are good at clearing unexpected surge in crowds at places like these.
Your route of Harbourfront to Normanton Park for 97 is not representative of a peak hour sector which a bus may be more than 60% full.
151's peak loading has two areas - one between Hougang and Macpherson Rd during morning peak, the other is Toa Payoh to NUS during morning peak (& vice versa during evening peak). 151 helps out 154 on sectors which duplicates 154. This means NP and SIM students also form 151's clientele instead of just NUS students. Now with CCL at Botanic Gardens, there is demand for NP/SIM students to take 151/154 from there to their school during school peak hours.
Peak trips for 151 DDs is mostly constrained to 1 or 2 of their trip runs so its not surprising if your observation for other trips is not even 50% full. You may wish to take these DDs at their peak trip to have an idea how well utilised the DD is.
195's peak loading is where 195A normally plies (except the sector from Marina Centre to Tiong Bahru). Demand may be high on these services but their headway is not 4-6min but at 7-12min usually. Instead of getting DDs, improve the headway first if DDs are not allowable. Would you want a DD plying at 12min headways so that its well utilised or would you want a 7min headway of single deckers?
153's load have much gone to NEL and CCL since 2003. You can spot a fully seated upper deck during morning peak towards Bt Merah. Due to the drop in loading some DDs were replaced by single deckers. 153's demand hovers between a single deck and a double deck which is why 53% of the fleet consists of DDs. These DDs peak trips either lie during AM or PM Peak, or both if the timing its on matches the demand (for DDs on full day shifts).
16's loading has a fair number of discretionary trips due to the places it passes through. And that is why some trips are heavy, some trips are not, assuming normal traffic conditions and scheduled headway is adhered to. What is most important is that no one is left behind at a bus stop because the bus is full.
Single Deckers on 2 7 12 147 197 are present for a few reasons. One of which is for drivers with some experience but without DD license to run on these routes while waiting to obtain their DD license. Such cases are few and far between and the driver is not perm on these services. Another reason, a slightly more important one is that the peak trips during both peaks for these buses do not exceed a single decker's licensed capacity. This is though the situation on the ground seems to differ from what's scheduled. A third reason is a commercial reason - advertisements. Some adverts do not advertise on DDs but want to advertise on popular routes and that's why single deckers are on routes like these.
For all cases, if you feel deploying a DD is unjustified, please take a DD during its peak trip during peak hours, in particular morning peak.
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What is the criteria SBST uses for deploying DDs?
Is pax>45 or avg (pax) > 40 a kind of criteria used? Would be interesting to know.
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195 IIRC was because of the road from Queensway turning left into Commonwealth Dr is the problem. Even currently SD on 195 still have to allowed all vehicles to turn out from Commonwealth Dr before able to negotiate the sharp left turn. IMHO LTA should have fixed up that turn so as other heavy vehicles can easily turn in too.
Cheers.
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Good point.
I think 195 should be diverted to Ghim Moh without coming to Commonwealth Drive. This way its frequency can be better monitored at Ghim Moh Terminal instead of having a loop service for such a long high capacity route.
For people on Commonwealth Drive, route 32 can be diverted via Commonwealth drive connecting to Buona Vista, so that people here can get access to both EW as well as CCL. Also, since 32 is not a high capacity route, a SD just works fine.
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Agree. If 195 really a need to continue on Queensway, it can actually go straight and turn left to Holland Rd, then Holland Ave, and come back to Commonwealth Ave, skipping Commonwealth Dr. But I believe 195 turn into Commonwealth Dr purposely to serve the residents in there, even though there's only 2 bus-stops. DD on 195 would most probably be possible if the left turn from Queensway to Commonwealth Dr is construct wider.
Cheers.
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16 used to have DD issues due to high restrictions under Merdeka Bridge. Not sure for now.
63 used to have LAs in the past, but when it became a FAC fleet in 1998 the LAs were only replaced with single deck AC buses. No aircon DDs were deployed till now.
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Thanks for the info.
Do you feel there is any bus route that deserves to be a DD and is operated as SD. I feel 131 is also one such route, but it seems there are some height restrictions along Telok Blangah way because of which is it SD.
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Originally posted by BusAnalayzer:
Thanks for the info.
Do you feel there is any bus route that deserves to be a DD and is operated as SD. I feel 131 is also one such route, but it seems there are some height restrictions along Telok Blangah way because of which is it SD.
3, 15, 33, 36, 66, 100, 105, 109, 113, 125, 200 all should get DD or bendy!!
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Originally posted by SMB228X:
Then the only way to solve 16 33 63 195 is to add more Citaros and BCs!!!
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Originally posted by SMB228X:
3, 15, 33, 36, 66, 100, 105, 109, 113, 125, 200 all should get DD or bendy!!
DOUBLE DECKER CAN GO INTO WINDING ROADS ALONG STH BUONA VISTA ROAD
DOUBLE DECKER CAN SQUEEZE THRU UNDERNEATH CTE FLYOVER AT LRG CHUAN
DOUBLE DECKER CAN SQUEEZE THRU UNDERNEATH CHANGI AIRPORT UNDERGROUND
DOUBLE DECKER CAN GO ALONG LOW TREE BRANCHES ALONG BT TIMAH SWISS COTTAGE AREA
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Originally posted by ahlunjia:
DOUBLE DECKER CAN GO INTO WINDING ROADS ALONG STH BUONA VISTA ROADDOUBLE DECKER CAN SQUEEZE THRU UNDERNEATH CTE FLYOVER AT LRG CHUAN
DOUBLE DECKER CAN SQUEEZE THRU UNDERNEATH CHANGI AIRPORT UNDERGROUND
DOUBLE DECKER CAN GO ALONG LOW TREE BRANCHES ALONG BT TIMAH SWISS COTTAGE AREA
So the only solution is to use bendy bus like Citaro Gs!!! And O405G can go through South Buona Vista Road!!!!
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Originally posted by SMB228X:
So the only solution is to use bendy bus like Citaro Gs!!! And O405G can go through South Buona Vista Road!!!!
CAN !! BIG BENDY BUS GOT STUCK AT WINDING NARROW ROAD
Should use Sprinters instead