LTA to launch 7 new bus services and add enhancements to improve connectivity.

To boost connection, the Land Transport Authority announced on Monday (February 9) that seven new bus services will be launched in the coming months, as well as the extension of two existing routes.

The enhancements will include the launch of a new bus route 831 within Tengah, which will run from Tengah Interchange to Tengah Garden Avenue, as well as the expansion of route 97 / 97e from Jurong East to Tengah Interchange beginning March 8.

Following an assessment of bus network coverage and ridership patterns, as well as consultation with grassroots advisers and community leaders, the LTA announced the extension of Service 181 from Jurong West to Tengah in the coming months.

In addition, three new services (457, 458, and 459) will connect inhabitants of Hougang, Sengkang, and Punggol to the Circle Line and the Tai Seng job area.

Tampines Boulevard and Yishun East residents will benefit from faster connections to Tampines and Khatib MRT stations via new peak-period routes 460 and 461.

A new city direct service 684 will also connect Brickland and Bukit Batok West with the Central Business District.

On February 9, Acting transit Minister Jeffrey Siow spoke to the media at Tampines North interchange, praising bus veterans and showcasing the new integrated transit hub, which includes an MRT station and retail stores.

He stated that nine new bus services and extensions to 13 existing routes had been planned and realised since the discussions began.

“The BCEP (Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme) is intended to try to connect HDB estates that are further from the city to give residents more transport options and shorten transport time.”

Siow stated that recruiting bus drivers remained the most difficult task, with beginning earnings of $2,600, and that greater wages are required to attract more local talent.

“We have been trying very hard to recruit local Singaporean bus drivers, and that is actually the most difficult task,” said Siow, noting that the median age of local bus drivers is 56 and rising.

Siow confirmed that efforts are being made to remedy recent problems in bus arrival timings.The most crucial point to remember is that bus operations were unaffected.

I know a lot of commuters utilise the bus arrival system to obtain a decent approximation of the time, and I know they were affected, therefore we will continue to improve the availability and accuracy,” he said.

Siow stated that the LTA is doing final checks, adding, “They are just tying up the loose ends.”

A large portion of it involves updating firmware and, in some cases, replacing transmitters on the buses. “So it’s a manual process.”

The BCEP, which will be implemented in July 2024, intends to increase bus connectivity, particularly in newer estates distant from MRT stations, as well as to give alternate transport options along high-ridership train lines, according to the LTA.

Since its inception, the authority has added 27 new and expanded bus services while improving 62 existing ones, including express routes to and from the city and limited-stop services that provide speedier access to MRT stations.

These upgrades are expected to assist roughly 244,000 commuters every day.

LTA said that specifics on additional changes in the future months will be revealed closer to the deployment dates.