2 peak hour bus services for Tampines residents

SINGAPORE - Bus users in Tampines are to get some relief during peak hours with the launch of two new services yesterday.

Services 291P and 293P will be added to the busiest stretches of routes of 291 and 293 in the estate. These "peak period short services" are run by Travel GSH and are meant to provide residents with more buses.

Tampines GRC MP Mah Bow Tan said waiting times can be long and buses get crowded during peak hours on those routes.

He added that both routes also experience bunching - when two or more buses of the same service arrive at the same time- resulting in longer waits for some commuters.

The additional capacity provided by 291P and 293P will also ease crowding, Mr Mah said, adding that the two services needed urgent attention, as they ply narrow streets in Tampines estate and at times, get held up by vehicles parked illegally.

Routes 291P and 293P will operate from Tampines MRT Station between 6.30am and 8.30am, and 5.30pm and 7.30pm on weekdays. Travel GSH director Jessie Hu said her company will operate 11 trips each in the morning and evening.

Travel GSH is also running a similar service in Pasir Ris - 358P. The company will be paid $4.3 million by the Land Transport Authority for operating the three routes over two years.

Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng said requests for other bus improvements have been submitted to the LTA.

For example, he has asked the LTA to consider providing a link between Tampines Avenue 9 to the Tampines Round Market. With the two routes in Tampines, there are now eight peak period short services on the road.

The Transport Ministry announced last year that it would tap on private operators to run feeder routes to provide commuters with more options.

Tampines resident Tan Min Min, 22, waits up to 20 minutes for her bus. "The additional peak period service is needed," she said. "In the evenings, the queues are long and buses are crowded."

roysim@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on June 25, 2014.
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