Forum: Removal of parallel bus services sets back car-lite push

Forum: Removal of parallel bus services sets back car-lite push

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-removal-of-parallel-bus-services-sets-back-car-lite-push

2023-11-21

I read with interest the decision to remove and amend bus services in the most recent route rationalisation exercise (Bus service 167 to cease from Dec 10, Nov 17). Bus route rationalisation exercises reduce or remove bus routes that are already served by new train lines.

However, in the face of the Government’s car-lite efforts, such a move is rather contradictory. One core tenet of a car-lite society is the ease of public transport use, and giving users choices of public transport services is key to achieving that.

This is also crucial in incidents when trains break down and delays occur. Users can cut over smoothly to existing parallel bus routes, rather than scramble and queue for bus bridging services.

Moreover, removal of bus routes will redirect more commuters to take short trips via other existing bus services just to get to the nearest MRT station. This will likely result in more people using these bus services, causing these buses to be sporadically full on routes in between MRT stations. Commuters who use the services to get to their destination rather than an MRT station may then not be able to board the buses.

Such scenarios frustrate existing commuters, and discourage existing car owners from giving up their cars to use public transport, setting back the Government’s car-lite efforts.

The route rationalisation exercise needs to be tweaked, or overhauled altogether, to reflect the Government’s car-life efforts.

Randy Ho

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