More buses, less waiting and overcrowding

More buses, less waiting and overcrowding

Almost half of the 550 new buses that are to be introduced as part of the Bus Service Enhancement Programme are already on the roads.

And 111 bus routes, or two in five services, have been improved since the $1.1 billion government programme was launched last September.

Presenting a one-year progress report, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said on Monday that waiting times and overcrowding have been reduced.

The programme has received good feedback, he said.

By the end of next year, another 200 buses will be rolled out. Mr Lui said a review will be conducted after that to see what further improvements are needed. New routes will be introduced by the end of this year to improve connectivity in areas such as Taman Jurong and Bukit Panjang.

In a joint statement, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and public transport operators SBS Transit and SMRT also said that 14 new bus services have been introduced.

Enhanced network

"These improvements have enhanced the connectivity of the bus network, shortened waiting times by 3 to 5 minutes for some existing bus services, and reduced the number of bus services with persistent crowding during peak periods from 96 to 56, or by about 40 per cent," they said.

Mr Yeo Teck Guan, LTA's group director for public transport, said: "We are aware that there are still areas in our bus services that need improvement, we hope to further enhance connectivity and raise service levels as we roll out more buses..."


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