Alleviating Overcrowding at Front of Buses

Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the introduction of part-time bus stop ushers has been effective in alleviating overcrowding at the front of buses; and (b) whether LTA will consider implementing all-door boarding for all public buses as part of the solution to improve peak hour capacity.

Both public transport operators (PTOs) deploy staff at high demand bus stops and bus interchanges during peak periods to facilitate passengers boarding the buses and to encourage them to move to the rear. These have helped to enable more passengers to board the buses.

All-door boarding is already implemented for some high frequency bus services, under dedicated staff supervision at bus interchanges. LTA and the PTOs will continue to review where there is scope to do more of such, taking into account fare evasion and passenger safety concerns.

Ultimately, however, moving to the rear of the bus is every commuter's responsibility. LTA works with the Public Transport Council, Singapore Kindness Movement and the PTOs to encourage commuters to adopt gracious behaviours. Earlier in April, LTA launched a series of posters and videos as part of a graciousness initiative called "Make it Right for a Better Ride" to, amongst other things, encourage commuters to move to the back of the bus. LTA will also explore other channels to promote graciousness so as to make commuting on public transport a more pleasant experience.