BUS LANES IN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (Request for abolition)

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Communications if he will consider abolishing the existing "Yellow Bus :Lanes" within the Central Business District as well as along all the City's main roads when the Park and Ride Scheme is introduced, as the existence of the bus lanes tends to obstruct shoppers boarding and alighting from cars or taxis in front of shops.

The Minister for Communications (Mr Yong Nyuk Lin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the purpose of Reserved Bus Lanes during traffic peak hours in the Central Business District is to give priority to public bus transport. Observations made by officers of the Registry of Vehicles and the Road Transport Working Group, since its introduction in February 1974, have shown that this measure has been successful. The Reserved Bus Lane scheme will therefore be maintained. Another traffic management scheme, the Park and Ride Scheme, to be introduced in May this year, will further facilitate traffic flow.

Shoppers who experience some inconvenience in boarding and alighting from cars and taxis in front of shops because of the bus lanes could avoid inconvenience by doing their shopping outside the peak periods when bus lanes are not operative.