INCREASING BUS SERVICES IN SENGKANG

Mr Yeo Guat Kwang asked the Minister for Communications and Information Technology whether the Land Transport Authority has plans to alleviate residents' transport woes by increasing the number of bus services in Sengkang to supplement the limited five services currently plying there.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Trans-Island Bus Services or TIBS is currently the public bus operator serving Sengkang New Town. TIBS has been introducing and expanding its bus services in tandem with the growth and development of the town. Currently, there are 5 bus services (TIBS No 82, 864, 865, 866 and SBS 88) operating in Sengkang with a deployment of 88 buses at a peak hour frequency of 4 - 10 minutes. These services provide residents with direct links to major HDB towns, namely, Hougang, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Toa Payoh and Pasir Ris; as well as major destinations along Serangoon Road, Paya Lebar Road, Geylang Road, Orchard Road, Marina Centre and Shenton Way. They can also connect to other bus services and the MRT at these places to travel to other parts of Singapore.

With the appointment of SBS as the operator for the North East MRT Line (NEL) and Sengkang and Punggol LRTs, SBS will take over the TIBS' bus services in Sengkang and Punggol sectors. SBS will then become a multi-modal operator for the North-East corridor to provide more integrated and better transport services to the residents in the area.

SBS plans to increase the number of trunk buses serving Sengkang by introducing new services and rationalising the existing 5 Sengkang services with those it currently operates in Hougang and Serangoon. This will be done as it takes over the bus services from TIBS between July and November 1999.

Finally, when the NEL and Sengkang LRTs commence operations in the Year 2002, Sengkang residents will be able to enjoy an even better level of public transport service.