Let's make the most of the $900m investment to beef up bus services
The Straits Times|August 03, 2024
For better impact, legwork and careful study of options needed
Kok Yufeng
Let's make the most of the $900m investment to beef up bus services

For a month after collecting the keys to his Tengah flat in August 2023, compliance manager Dinesh Sailan found it a pain to travel to and from his home as he had to rely on a temporary shuttle bus.

While new public bus routes were later introduced, the nearest stop was a 15-minute walk away and the services ran at up to 20-minute intervals. So things did not get much better for the 38-year-old and his wife, who are among the earliest residents of Singapore's newest town.

Some relief came in December 2023, when two of the new routes were extended to serve a new stop in front of their housing project, although gripes remain about low frequency and poor connectivity.

To address the issues faced by early Tengah residents like him, the authorities are now looking to speed up the roll-out of bus services in new towns, instead of having to wait for more people to move in.

It is one of four ways by which the Land Transport Authority (LTA) plans to improve the public bus network, and it will spend up to $900 million over eight years on a new Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme.

Other plans include more peak-hour express services such as those to the city, and new express feeder buses that will call at fewer stops and ply more direct routes to major transport nodes like MRT stations.

This is the first major injection of public funds into the bus network in more than a decade. It comes on top of the $1 billion in subsidies the Government already pumps in yearly to keep public buses running.

The added investment is much needed, given the speed at which new housing developments are sprouting up, and the Herculean task that LTA faces in ensuring that the public transport network is comprehensive while staying financially sustainable.

The question is whether these fresh funds will ultimately result in faster and better journeys, and nudge more people towards public transport.

この記事は The Straits Times の August 03, 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は The Straits Times の August 03, 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

THE STRAITS TIMESのその他の記事すべて表示
The Straits Times

Touring exhibition of graffiti artist Banksy to open in Singapore in December

The guerilla-style political art of anonymous graffiti artist Banksy, which has popped up on streets in cities worldwide, will finally grace vandalism-tough Singapore this December—albeit indoors.

time-read
1 min  |
November 07, 2024
The Straits Times

Bag brand Aupen's founder is former national swimmer Nicholas Tan

The Singapore-founded bag brand Aupen has been seen on the arms of pop superstars Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce, but the team behind the trendy label has largely kept a low profile—until now.

time-read
2 分  |
November 07, 2024
The Straits Times

Music from Bridgerton in upcoming concert

Fans of the Netflix historical romance series Bridgerton (2020 to present) are in for a treat as songs from the hit show will be performed in Singapore.

time-read
1 min  |
November 07, 2024
Travel news Travel discounts at Trafalgar Tours' showcase
The Straits Times

Travel news Travel discounts at Trafalgar Tours' showcase

From Nov 6 to 10, Trafalgar Tours, a brand under travel company The Travel Corporation (TTC), is holding its first travel fair at the level one atrium of shopping centre Plaza Singapura.

time-read
1 min  |
November 07, 2024
Musical Six retells stories of Henry VIII's wives in pop-concert style
The Straits Times

Musical Six retells stories of Henry VIII's wives in pop-concert style

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived - this is how most people remember the six wives of 16th-century King of England Henry VIII.

time-read
3 分  |
November 07, 2024
Nafa's hopes of building a print archive
The Straits Times

Nafa's hopes of building a print archive

The acquisition of a collection from Typesettingsg, Singapore's only letterpress heritage studio, has increased its holdings by about 10 times

time-read
3 分  |
November 07, 2024
Brotherly bonds cut deeper than blades
The Straits Times

Brotherly bonds cut deeper than blades

Psychological thriller Pierce offers a bracing portrait of how young men seek out and cling to male role models

time-read
2 分  |
November 07, 2024
Thousands of girls sold and forced into sex trade in India
The Straits Times

Thousands of girls sold and forced into sex trade in India

West Bengal a key trafficking hub, with more than 50,000 girls missing

time-read
3 分  |
November 07, 2024
Dua Lipa gets Singapore crowd 'levitating'
The Straits Times

Dua Lipa gets Singapore crowd 'levitating'

The words \"training season's over\" flashed on the screen as British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa took the Singapore Indoor Stadium stage on Nov 5 to kick off her Radical Optimism Tour.

time-read
2 分  |
November 07, 2024
4 movies, 2 islands
The Straits Times

4 movies, 2 islands

Singapore film-makers look to Taiwan for funding, hands-on support, cultural kinship

time-read
6 分  |
November 07, 2024