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SPECIAL REPORT
Many satisfied with bus services
86% of commuters give thumbs up; 6 in 10 see improvement: ST poll
By Chong Zi Liang
SINGAPOREANS may gripe to the press or among themselves about the quality of the bus services here, but they seem actually quite satisfied with it, going by a straw poll by The Straits Times.
Of the 200 commuters surveyed over two weekdays across the island and at different times of day, 172 or 86 per cent of them said they were 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with the bus services here.
Six in 10, or 118 out of the 200, said they thought that service had improved in the last two years.
This timeframe just about dovetails with the series of improvements promised - and mostly since delivered - under the Land Transport Master Plan launched in March 2008. Under this plan, the most significant change was the appointment of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) as the body that will shape the future of bus travel here.
Although the old bugbears of long waiting times and crowdedness remain, the improvements which have won favour with commuters include putting more handicapped-friendly buses into service, and the installation of electronic boards at bus stops which display bus arrival times in real time.
Ms Irene Tan, 30, for instance, thinks the board is a great convenience to have. 'It lets me know whether I can step away from the bus stop for a while without fearing I would miss the bus,' she said.
The comfort level of bus rides also got a thumbs up, with 164 out of 200, or 82 per cent, happy with the cleanliness, air-conditioning and crowdedness.
But where crowdedness is concerned, it may be a matter of time of day and which bus service is in question, because some commuters find themselves jam-packed on board certain heavily used services, especially during the morning and evening peak hours.
Civil servant Lum Hui Zhen, 23, who takes bus service 5 from her home in Simei to work in Novena, said the bus is packed to the gills by the time it gets to Eunos, and is unable to pick up more passengers more than once during the trip.
She said: 'There are people at the bus stops who can't get on even though they want to. I'm not sure if this is an acceptable service standard.'
Crowdedness aside, waiting time is still a source of grief for some.
The straw poll found that 42 per cent spend more than 10 minutes waiting for their bus to arrive, but 90 per cent expect it to pull up within 10 minutes. Almost half of those polled expect even more - that their buses arrive within five minutes of their getting to the bus stops.
Full-time national serviceman Matt Chew, 23, said: 'It's stated that the waiting time during off-peak hours is nine to 12 minutes, but it's common to wait more than 15 minutes for the bus from Geylang to Boon Keng.'
But security officer Faiz Azman, 53, a regular on service 197 from Bedok to Tanjong Pagar, is satisfied that his wait is usually no more than 10 minutes.
'Bus service standards seem to me to have been unchanged the last two years. But on the whole, it's still acceptable and I have no major complaints,' he said.
Lawyer Lin Wenrong, 25, who takes the feeder bus from her home in Yishun to get to the MRT station, however, feels there is room for improvement, especially in the morning peak hour 'when people are in a hurry'.
The inconsistency of bus services is another bugbear of commuters. Many, such as chef Chhabi Ras Giri, say their waiting times vary too greatly day to day.
The 41-year-old, who travels by bus from Bukit Timah to Bukit Panjang each day for work, said: 'Sometimes, I can wait up to half an hour for my bus. Sometimes, there is no wait.'
But even as other commuters gripe about how needlessly fast some bus drivers go, or the inconsistency in the length of the wait, administrative assistant Juria Ahmad, 50, who has a 7am daily commute from Commonwealth to Ayer Rajah, declares she will take the bus over the train any day.
'The MRT gets too crowded for my liking. As long as I know there is a bus to where I want to go, I choose that instead of the MRT,' she said.
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Kon Xin Hua and Lin Yang
PASSENGERS DON'T COOPERATE
'Sometimes passengers crowd around the centre of the bus without moving to the back, but nobody does or says anything. I guess it's due to our personality - being less inclined to voice our thoughts - thus inconveniencing others who want to board.'
Pharmacist Lai Yinleng, 23, who travels twice a day, six times a week, to work in Clementi
BETTER ENVIRONMENT NOW
'I feel that the bus environment has improved to become more comfortable and more handicapped-friendly.'
Regional finance director Toh Yen Kee, 39, who takes the bus on weekends from River Valley to Orchard Road
SOME BUS DRIVERS NOT PROACTIVE
'There are a greater number of buses departing from the terminals now, and more handicapped-friendly buses. However, some bus drivers don't ensure the passengers have all moved to the back of the bus, so I'm unable to get on the bus even though there's still space.'
Student Lai Chui Ting, 19, who takes the bus daily, mostly from Clementi to Kent Ridge Terminal
MORE ACCURATE UPDATES, PLEASE
'Updates of bus arrival timings at bus stops should be more accurate. The low frequency of buses makes it worse.'
Mr Chris Chan, 27, a broker
SWEET SMELLS, ANYONE?
'Buses need fragrance and air fresheners.'
Retiree Khoo Hee Huck, 59, who takes the bus between Bukit Gombak and Choa Chu Kang every morning
LOOK INTO DISTANCE FARE SYSTEM
'A lot of upgrading has been done, like more air-conditioned buses and interchanges. The distance fare system, however, isn't useful. You save money only if you take really long bus rides. If it's only one or two stops, it's more costly.'
Ms Yeong Kar Yan, 19, a student, who takes the bus from Jurong West to school in Clementi during peak hours on weekdays
HALF-FULL, BUT SKIPS STOP
'Some bus drivers refuse to stop even when the bus is only half-full. They skip the stop as if they can't take on any more passengers.'
Ms Chen Shu Yun, a 58-year-old housekeeper who takes the bus to work from Bukit Panjang to Orchard daily
INCONSISTENT WAITING TIMES
'Sometimes, I can wait up to 30 minutes for my bus. Sometimes, there is no wait.'
Chef Chhabi Ras Giri, 41, who travels to work in Bukit Timah from Bukit Panjang each day
MORE BUSES NEEDED
'Because of the influx of foreign workers, I don't get a seat on buses anymore, compared to three years ago. It's a discomfort. They should provide more buses.'
Mr Jason Jeffery Juin, a 24-year-old cook who travels to work at Far East Plaza from Bukit Panjang at various times in the day, depending on when his shift starts
ADD THIS ROUTE
'A bus service from Admiralty to NUS would be nice.'
Mr Ajith Kumar, a 24-year-old student who takes the bus daily between 4pm and 10pm
Many satisfied with bus services
86% of commuters give thumbs up; 6 in 10 see improvement: ST poll
By Chong Zi Liang
SINGAPOREANS may gripe to the press or among themselves about the quality of the bus services here, but they seem actually quite satisfied with it, going by a straw poll by The Straits Times.
Of the 200 commuters surveyed over two weekdays across the island and at different times of day, 172 or 86 per cent of them said they were 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with the bus services here.
Six in 10, or 118 out of the 200, said they thought that service had improved in the last two years.
This timeframe just about dovetails with the series of improvements promised - and mostly since delivered - under the Land Transport Master Plan launched in March 2008. Under this plan, the most significant change was the appointment of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) as the body that will shape the future of bus travel here.
Although the old bugbears of long waiting times and crowdedness remain, the improvements which have won favour with commuters include putting more handicapped-friendly buses into service, and the installation of electronic boards at bus stops which display bus arrival times in real time.
Ms Irene Tan, 30, for instance, thinks the board is a great convenience to have. 'It lets me know whether I can step away from the bus stop for a while without fearing I would miss the bus,' she said.
The comfort level of bus rides also got a thumbs up, with 164 out of 200, or 82 per cent, happy with the cleanliness, air-conditioning and crowdedness.
But where crowdedness is concerned, it may be a matter of time of day and which bus service is in question, because some commuters find themselves jam-packed on board certain heavily used services, especially during the morning and evening peak hours.
Civil servant Lum Hui Zhen, 23, who takes bus service 5 from her home in Simei to work in Novena, said the bus is packed to the gills by the time it gets to Eunos, and is unable to pick up more passengers more than once during the trip.
She said: 'There are people at the bus stops who can't get on even though they want to. I'm not sure if this is an acceptable service standard.'
Crowdedness aside, waiting time is still a source of grief for some.
The straw poll found that 42 per cent spend more than 10 minutes waiting for their bus to arrive, but 90 per cent expect it to pull up within 10 minutes. Almost half of those polled expect even more - that their buses arrive within five minutes of their getting to the bus stops.
Full-time national serviceman Matt Chew, 23, said: 'It's stated that the waiting time during off-peak hours is nine to 12 minutes, but it's common to wait more than 15 minutes for the bus from Geylang to Boon Keng.'
But security officer Faiz Azman, 53, a regular on service 197 from Bedok to Tanjong Pagar, is satisfied that his wait is usually no more than 10 minutes.
'Bus service standards seem to me to have been unchanged the last two years. But on the whole, it's still acceptable and I have no major complaints,' he said.
Lawyer Lin Wenrong, 25, who takes the feeder bus from her home in Yishun to get to the MRT station, however, feels there is room for improvement, especially in the morning peak hour 'when people are in a hurry'.
The inconsistency of bus services is another bugbear of commuters. Many, such as chef Chhabi Ras Giri, say their waiting times vary too greatly day to day.
The 41-year-old, who travels by bus from Bukit Timah to Bukit Panjang each day for work, said: 'Sometimes, I can wait up to half an hour for my bus. Sometimes, there is no wait.'
But even as other commuters gripe about how needlessly fast some bus drivers go, or the inconsistency in the length of the wait, administrative assistant Juria Ahmad, 50, who has a 7am daily commute from Commonwealth to Ayer Rajah, declares she will take the bus over the train any day.
'The MRT gets too crowded for my liking. As long as I know there is a bus to where I want to go, I choose that instead of the MRT,' she said.
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Kon Xin Hua and Lin Yang
PASSENGERS DON'T COOPERATE
'Sometimes passengers crowd around the centre of the bus without moving to the back, but nobody does or says anything. I guess it's due to our personality - being less inclined to voice our thoughts - thus inconveniencing others who want to board.'
Pharmacist Lai Yinleng, 23, who travels twice a day, six times a week, to work in Clementi
BETTER ENVIRONMENT NOW
'I feel that the bus environment has improved to become more comfortable and more handicapped-friendly.'
Regional finance director Toh Yen Kee, 39, who takes the bus on weekends from River Valley to Orchard Road
SOME BUS DRIVERS NOT PROACTIVE
'There are a greater number of buses departing from the terminals now, and more handicapped-friendly buses. However, some bus drivers don't ensure the passengers have all moved to the back of the bus, so I'm unable to get on the bus even though there's still space.'
Student Lai Chui Ting, 19, who takes the bus daily, mostly from Clementi to Kent Ridge Terminal
MORE ACCURATE UPDATES, PLEASE
'Updates of bus arrival timings at bus stops should be more accurate. The low frequency of buses makes it worse.'
Mr Chris Chan, 27, a broker
SWEET SMELLS, ANYONE?
'Buses need fragrance and air fresheners.'
Retiree Khoo Hee Huck, 59, who takes the bus between Bukit Gombak and Choa Chu Kang every morning
LOOK INTO DISTANCE FARE SYSTEM
'A lot of upgrading has been done, like more air-conditioned buses and interchanges. The distance fare system, however, isn't useful. You save money only if you take really long bus rides. If it's only one or two stops, it's more costly.'
Ms Yeong Kar Yan, 19, a student, who takes the bus from Jurong West to school in Clementi during peak hours on weekdays
HALF-FULL, BUT SKIPS STOP
'Some bus drivers refuse to stop even when the bus is only half-full. They skip the stop as if they can't take on any more passengers.'
Ms Chen Shu Yun, a 58-year-old housekeeper who takes the bus to work from Bukit Panjang to Orchard daily
INCONSISTENT WAITING TIMES
'Sometimes, I can wait up to 30 minutes for my bus. Sometimes, there is no wait.'
Chef Chhabi Ras Giri, 41, who travels to work in Bukit Timah from Bukit Panjang each day
MORE BUSES NEEDED
'Because of the influx of foreign workers, I don't get a seat on buses anymore, compared to three years ago. It's a discomfort. They should provide more buses.'
Mr Jason Jeffery Juin, a 24-year-old cook who travels to work at Far East Plaza from Bukit Panjang at various times in the day, depending on when his shift starts
ADD THIS ROUTE
'A bus service from Admiralty to NUS would be nice.'
Mr Ajith Kumar, a 24-year-old student who takes the bus daily between 4pm and 10pm
