More premium bus services offered to meet rising ridership By Hoe Yeen Nie/ Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 July 2008 1816 hrs
More premium bus services offered to meet rising ridership
SINGAPORE: More premium bus services have been added with over 40 running on Singapore roads. These are more exclusive bus services that run certain routes to the city for a higher fare.
Response has been encouraging. SMRT, which runs nine services, has seen a steady increase in ridership numbers. In particular, the number of paseengers on its service 530 from River Valley and service 531 from Simei to the Central Business District (CBD) area has nearly doubled since they were introduced in August 2007.
This has prompted the transport operator to add another two evening service trips to service 531 to meet demand.
With Monday's increase in downtown Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates, some drivers may be enticed to give up their cars for this mode of transport.
Channel NewsAsia's reporters Hoe Yeen Nie and Imelda Saad put it to the test, travelling from central Singapore to Suntec city.
Ms Hoe waited at Hume Avenue, just off Upper Bukit Timah Road, for the 7.40am premium bus service to Suntec City. Meanwhile, Ms Saad drove all the way to Suntec, starting her journey at the same time.
The normal feeder bus service from Upper Bukit Timah Road takes passengers to Bukit Batok MRT station, but they will need to change trains at the Jurong East interchange to get into the CBD. The whole journey takes them over an hour and many commuters are put off by the morning crowds on the trains.
Thus, many prefer the comfort and ease of the premium bus service and it is also cheaper than a taxi.
Ms Saad, who was travelling by car said that traffic was smooth from Bukit Timah, along the PIE into the city, but she had to go through two gantries. Parking was also a breeze.
The whole journey by car took about 30 minutes, while it took 45 minutes by the premium bus service.
The cost of travelling by car from Hume Avenue to Suntec City came up to S$25.40 - S$21.40 for ten hours of parking, S$2.50 for fuel and S$1.50 for ERP charges.
In comparison, taking a premium bus service costs S$6.60 on average. - CNA/vm
our real competitors...for LTA to approve more premium buses is like saying 'hey our present public transport is not up to standard'
those coys running taxi rentals like smrt & cdg(sbs) who have public buses do not reject such premium buses...why?...more buses means more overhead...and these premium buses are theirs anyway
do they protect taxi drivers since we rent their cabs...NO...just happy to collect rents...cabbies are the real losers in long term
some bros keep on saying we provide good service shd be ok...omg pax are running to premium buses you then have little pax to provide good service right??
__________________
If you are willing to admit faults, you have one less fault to admit.
provide svcs not enuff.. must put tissue at the back,small fridge with champange,cigars,free usage of hp,end fare discount 60%... THIS IS SVCS!!!!!!!! haaaaaa... **** man
now most MRT station got COMFORT buses that take them to factory area.. saw 1 big comfort bus took abt 20 paxs and did saw the last pax take out coins and give to the driver.. WTF!!!
this is what i've been saying many time...some more these buses can stop & drop paxs anywhere along d road causing traffic slow down knn...if you go to tg rhu during morn peak hr you'll see long Q of ppl lining up for these buses...taxis by the tens go round & round hoping for loose pax to flag...its now NO NO for me there
our pie is getting smaller
__________________
If you are willing to admit faults, you have one less fault to admit.
can send pics to TP & lta...stopping on yellow ziz-zac lines...where the white mouse on bikes har?...only click click cabs har knn...TP now contracts to budget wardens riding on KFC look alike motor bikes
gone are the days when u see smart TP on powerful bikes summon people...now we see fat tummy, bikes that never service b4, uniform that never wash for weeks...happily click click cabies
__________________
If you are willing to admit faults, you have one less fault to admit.
