Is Singapore’s bus transport system up to par for a country self-described as First World? Not quite.
It is trying – jerk by first-gear jamming jerk. But before we come to the human part of the standard of the system, I have to say our buses have come a long way from the earlier chaotic years.
As the population was being distributed to the HDB new towns, it was a struggle to keep up with the fast-changing travel patterns and demands of a brave new world.
Unreliable services, mismatch of routes, bus breakdowns — these were just some of the major headaches the system had to solve.
I was one of the New Town pioneers, having moved from Paya Lebar to Ang Mo Kio. So, I was affected by the almost trial-and-error development of the transport system.
On top of that, I was asked years later to write a column on HDB life. I saw first-hand the morning and evening chaos as each new HDB estate tried to keep up with transport demands. Long queues were a daily affair.
Singapore finally got on top of the bus transport challenge by and large.
Today in the big new towns, providing seamless feeder services has become an expectation. In Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio, for example, the feeders are super efficient. This is important as MRT networks need to be supported by such feeders.
So, yes, the bus system is almost unrecognisable from the wild frontier years. Yet, something important is lacking – better quality bus captains.
I’m not saying the ones now driving the buses are horrible. No, of course not. I’ve noticed how patient and kind most of them are when they take care of passengers in wheelchairs or mobility vehicles. And when they spot someone chasing after the bus, they would wait.
But the bus companies must look into just two important things which will help make travelling by bus much more pleasant.
The bus captain must not assume that every passenger wears winter clothing. The captain may be comfortable in a jacket. But most passengers are dressed normally and suffer in silence when the air-con is blasting away – especially with the ventilators directed at passengers’ heads.
And when it rains you can practically see condensation on the side windows.
And finally, all bus captains must be instructed never to use only the first gear when they drive. Quite a number have the bad habit of using just one gear as they jerk and slam their way through crowded streets. For heaven’s sake, we are a society of elderly passengers.
Tan Bah Bah is a former senior leader writer with The Straits Times. He was also managing editor of a magazine publishing company