Is SBST utilising DDs in the correct way?
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While it seems that 49 is a brand-new BSEP service, I'm still wondering why it's not obvious enough that DDs aren't needed for it as it's mostly empty most of the time (or at least before the loop, but even then the crowd might ease at bus stop 28091). Why not just deploy all-Citaros?
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49 do need DDs but deploy then during peaks and Weekends only.
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Originally posted by SBS9067A:
While it seems that 49 is a brand-new BSEP service, I'm still wondering why it's not obvious enough that DDs aren't needed for it as it's mostly empty most of the time (or at least before the loop, but even then the crowd might ease at bus stop 28091). Why not just deploy all-Citaros?
Too early to make any decision yet. People take time to change their traveling pattern that they are used to for years. It will take sometime for people to move from 334/335 to 49. Also, the loading is not so bad. AM peak, I observed the bus already got 68 pax at Yuhua School (close to DD needing requirement).
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Originally posted by carbikebus:
49 do need DDs but deploy then during peaks and Weekends only.
True.
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I haben try 49 yet, still take 334
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Originally posted by BusAnalayzer:
Too early to make any decision yet. People take time to change their traveling pattern that they are used to for years. It will take sometime for people to move from 334/335 to 49. Also, the loading is not so bad. AM peak, I observed the bus already got 68 pax at Yuhua School (close to DD needing requirement).
True, but it's more profitable to go with lesser DDs only FOR NOW, though some buses will be packed now that school has started and 49 serves 2 schools it seems, JSS (first bus stop) and Yuhua school (as you say).
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Before we make judgment on DDs for 49, we should look at sv 50 which started with very low loading. For 2-3 months, the peak loading on sv 50 would not cross 45-50 pax. But now, the bus very well takes 70+ pax.
In fact, for sv 50 a lot of students and workers from AMK Ave 5 take it directly to Bishan to change to CCL. These would rely on 88/159 to AMK MRT before. I was on sv 50 DD just a month back, when there were 56pax on board after AMK MRT. Before AMK MRT stop, around 88-90 pax on board.
I am confident that sv 49 will also get 80-90 pax during AM peak and more people from 334 / 335 will take this service. This will also improve the loading around Jurong West/East Ave 1, who will now get place in 334, because in the last few months, 334 was already coming crowded from Jurong St 42, and people on Jurong West/East Ave 1 had to rely on 98/99. 98 becoming crowded at Jurong West Ave would make it difficult for people around Jurong East Ave (st 24 area) to board bus during AM peak.
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Originally posted by SBS9067A:
True, but it's more profitable to go with lesser DDs only FOR NOW, though some buses will be packed now that school has started and 49 serves 2 schools it seems, JSS (first bus stop) and Yuhua school (as you say).
Again, we see so many inefficient routes but they are not changed or rationalized as profit does not seem to be the motive of BSEP. Putting DDs is a good way to encourage people to take service as they know they will get a place to sit and wont have to cram into the bus. -
Originally posted by SBS9067A:
True.
After 3 months when the runtime revised then we know how...
So how is the loading for 109 now?I see sometimes DDs are deployed during full day also...Hgdep should give 1 more duty to Bndep that run on split.Surprisingly although Bndep 109 fleets are all single decks most of the BCs got DD license
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Originally posted by SBS9067A:
True, but it's more profitable to go with lesser DDs only FOR NOW, though some buses will be packed now that school has started and 49 serves 2 schools it seems, JSS (first bus stop) and Yuhua school (as you say).
If I was looking at profitability, it would be a no brainer to start the service with all SDs and as loading improves convert SD slots to DD. But again BSEP motive is not profit. LTA has too much money to spend on all these fast service routes and giving loads of money out in tender when it could be easily operated by SBST/SMRT at a lower operation cost. -
Originally posted by carbikebus:
After 3 months when the runtime revised then we know how...
So how is the loading for 109 now?I see sometimes DDs are deployed during full day also...Hgdep should give 1 more duty to Bndep that run on split.Surprisingly although Bndep 109 fleets are all single decks most of the BCs got DD license
109 you have 4 DD slots now. The loading is very good AM peak from Sengkang towards Pasir Ris. Bus will have more than 80-85 pax. The DDs are timed well for this.Evening peak, also observed good loading from YCK Road towards Hougang Ave 9 (around 75-80 pax) but bus pax go down a lot after HG Ave 4 to 40-45 pax.
I would say the DD worthy loading for 109 is more uni-directional.
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sv 109 DDs now 2 running full day while the other 2 running split shift @ the moment .
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To give the simplest and dirtiest answer to TS: NO.
The 12m DD has seating capacity in mind, and id believe should be deployed for trunk routes with few or multiple mass boarding/alighting points to better utilize the seating capacity of the DDs. As SBST has no other high capacity bus types to cater to route requirements, the 12m DD has degraded into a 'general purpose high capacity bus' for routes that simply have pax that a regular SD fleet cannot cope with. Add that to the kind of stops that trunks have to make in towns and people travelling the longer distances are going to end up delayed/angry/pissed off (whatever describes angry).
although there is a deeper and chronic problem with how trunk routes, throwing 12m DDs to meet capacity is simply a convenient yet shortsighted way of catering to capacity. -
So taking DD on svc 109 during off peaks is a bonus
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Originally posted by carbikebus:
So taking DD on svc 109 during off peaks is a bonus
yup ! u r right .
