BUS STOPS WITH ARRIVAL TIME INDICATORS

BUS STOPS WITH ARRIVAL TIME INDICATORS

23.

Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether he will consider increasing the number of bus stops with the bus arrival time indicators; and (b) what are the current guidelines for installing such indicators at the bus stops.

Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat: There are currently 50 bus stops fitted with electronic panels that provide commuters with real-time bus arrival information. Most of these bus stops are in the city centre, where commuter traffic is high. Others are spread out across Singapore, at areas with high bus ridership or which are major points of transfer, so that as many commuters as possible can make use of them.

Besides these static electronic panels, commuters can also use their mobile phones to access the same real-time bus arrival information. For example, SBS Transit provides arrival information for all its bus services on a Short Message Service (SMS) platform. LTA also provides similar information, covering both SBST Transit and SMRT Buses’ services, using SMS at 166 bus stops along the Western Academic Belt. And if you have a mobile phone that is Internet-enabled, you can also access LTA’s bus arrival information on the PublicTransport@SG website on the go. All in all, such mobile services already cover about eight in 10 bus stops across Singapore.

LTA is currently working to further improve the accuracy of the bus arrival information, with the intention to expand the coverage of these mobile services to all bus stops eventually. For most commuters, mobile technology provides a better service compared to the static electronic panels, as it allows commuters to check bus arrival times even before they reach the bus stop. With that information, a commuter can decide on the best time to start walking to the bus stop. Nonetheless, LTA will consider the provision of additional static electronic displays where it is cost-effective to do so, such as in some high-traffic areas.