FEEDER BUS SERVICES NO. 226 AND 228 (Improvement)

Encik Saidi Haji Shariff asked the Minister for Communications and Minister for Labour whether there are plans to improve the feeder Bus Services No. 226 and 228 which now serve residents in Neighbourhood 6 and 7 of Bedok New Town at Bedok Reservoir Road.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Speaker, Sir, Services No. 226 and 228 have been improved considerably since they were first introduced, both in terms of frequency and the number of buses.

Service No. 226 was first implemented in February 1981 with three buses operating at intervals of nine minutes during peak hours. Now it operates at intervals of our minutes during peak hours and nine minutes during the off-peak.

Service No. 228 began operation in September 1980 with two buses operating at intervals of 11 minutes during peak hours. Now it has five buses operating at intervals of four minutes during peak hours and 10 minutes during off-peak hours.

I can assure the hon. Member for Kaki Bukit that SBS monitors all services in New Towns on a regular basis. A recent survey showed Services No. 226 and 228 in Bedok to be adequate.

Encik Saidi Haji Shariff (Kaki Bukit): Mr Speaker, Sir, is the Hon. Minister aware that we have received numerous complaints that these two bus services do not keep to their frequency?

The second question is that in response to queries and suggestions made by our Citizens' Consultative Committee to improve the services, particularly Service No. 228 to ply two-way, the SBS replied that it would consider implementing the two-way service if all the flats are fully occupied. But until now it has not been implemented yet. May I know whether the Minister would consider asking the SBS to carry out their promise?

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Speaker, Sir, on the first point raised by the Member for Kaki Bukit on Services No. 226 and 228 not keeping to their schedule, I can definitely ask SBS to look into this.

With regard to his second point, I think this would probably come under the Comprehensive Bus Study that is being conducted. That is probably the reason why SBS has not been able to implement the suggested two-way service made earlier by his CCC members.