I REFER to the recent discussion in the media on the bus-lane issue. It seems most views presented were from motorists who were concerned about their road space being taken up by public buses. I would like to look at this from the perspective of bus commuters who travel daily by public transport.

I live in northern Singapore and I have friends who live in Yishun and Ang Mo Kio. In the course of my community service, I have also received feedback from many bus commuters on the implementation of more bus lanes in Singapore. Generally, most of us - who are mainly from the lower or lower-middle income groups, do not own a car and depend mainly on public transport to travel daily from one place to another - give this scheme our thumbs-up.

Since the scheme was implemented in Yishun and Ang Mo Kio, it has provided bus commuters with greater convenience. We now enjoy a seamless and smoother ride from home to work, and to school for children. Our travel time has been reduced, on average, by about 10 to 15 minutes on a bus journey from the north to town, and the journey is more pleasant.

With this time saved, we do not need to rush to work or school and can afford to sleep in a little longer. Although to an individual, the time saved may seem negligible, on a bus filled with more than 100 passengers, the amount of time saved, in an economic sense, is tremendous.

The bus lane has also improved the timely arrival of buses at bus stops, and bus commuters can now better gauge arrival times and hence better manage their journey to work. With bus lanes, gone are the days when we used to worry about being late for work with buses held up in jams and other days when we had no alternative but to take a cab to work because of late buses or traffic jams.

To bus commuters mainly from the lower or lower-middle income groups, the reduction in the amount of travel by cabs, thanks to reliable bus services, has helped us manage our costs better and save money.

During this period of economic uncertainty, more people are switching to public transport. The implementation of more bus lanes on the road is a timely measure that will benefit more people. I applaud the Land Transport Authority for its timely decision.

Ho Kok Khun

This forum letter was first published in The Straits Times on Dec 4, 2008.

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