Singapore—The country’s new triple-door buses, which started plying routes only last week, seem to have hit some teething issues that may need to be addressed.
The Land Transportation Authority (LTA) rolled out the first 50 buses in January, with another 50 expected to be launched in the second quarter of the year.
And while innovations are often welcome, and can even be seen as a source of pride, some commuters are actually having problems with the new buses, particularly when alighting them.
This problem may even prove to be a disincentive for some from occupying the back of the bus, which has been a problem in the past.
One video, posted on the (buses[IN]gapore!) and Roads.sg Facebook pages, showed a man who could not get down from the bus.
The man can be seen standing in front of the third door at the back of the bus, as it slows to a stop.
However, when the bus does stop, the door only opens part of the way, to make an exit too small for a person to squeeze through. Not to mention that trying to get through it would potentially be dangerous.
Unable to alight, the man moves away from the door, toward the front, presumably toward an exit he can actually use.
Roads.sg wrote, “Highlighting the 3rd door which is not working properly. More so the back door is constructed in such a way that it is inconvenient.”
Apparently, alighting is not the only problem, as boarding can also be challenging, since there seems to be a specific technique for it.
“During alighting or boarding you need to climb one step up and then two steps down to utilise it. Plus it’s in an awkward spot where people coming down second staircase (sic) have to climb one step up again to get off….and the roof height at the lower deck makes it not suitable for taller people to stand there. You notice this guy knocked his head, considering he is not tall at all.”
roads.sg expressed the concern that few people would choose the third door at all, which cuts down its usefulness.
“It’s a design issue and will deter people form using the 3rd door. Sure it would serve its purpose but at what cost? A full low floor would make more sense.”
Ironically, the third door at the back of the bus was made so people could get down from the vehicle faster.
On a Jan 11 Facebook post, the LTA wrote, “Designed with a second staircase and an additional exit door, commuters can alight faster when they reach their destinations. #Protip Use the third door for alighting only to ensure a smoother and quicker commuting experience!”
According to the straitstimes.com the buses cost a total of S$100 million.
/TISG
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