PRIVATE BUSES

Dr Teo Ho Pin asked the Minister for Communications whether his Ministry will consider allowing private buses (especially Adult Workers Contract registered buses) to enter bus lanes outside the Central Business District areas between 4.30 pm and 7.00 pm so as to facilitate the alighting of passengers taking private buses.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Bus lanes were introduced in 1974 to enhance the reliability and attractiveness of scheduled bus services. They are drawn along roads with high volume of scheduled buses to give priority to these buses, which are efficient carriers of large number of passengers. This is in line with our policy to promote greater use of mass public transport.

My Ministry has received similar requests to allow private and school buses to enter the bus lanes during the restricted hours. If these buses were allowed to enter bus lanes to pick up and set down passengers during restricted hours, they would impede the flow of scheduled buses using these lanes and affect their reliability and level of service to the public bus commuters.

After careful consideration, my Ministry has decided that bus lanes should continue to be restricted to scheduled bus services during the restricted hours. Private hire and school buses can stop to pick up and set down passengers at gaps demarcated with broken yellow lines along the bus lanes or along non-bus lane roads.