Prioritising Requests for Additional Buses and Bus Routes

Mr Arthur Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) how will LTA prioritise competing requests for more buses and bus routes; and (b) how will LTA manage road use with the increase in buses on the roads and current traffic congestion on many roads.

LTA works closely with the local communities to understand and prioritise their different travel needs and requests. In deciding on new routes or service improvements, LTA also incorporates planning information, public feedback, data from its ticketing system, and ground checks. New routes are typically added in areas where there are new public housing developments, such as Yishun, Sengkang and Punggol, and generally implemented in tandem with their completion.

With more buses on the road, more priority will be given to them. Today, there are about 180 kilometres of bus lanes and over 200 locations where the Mandatory Give Way to Buses Scheme is implemented. Over the next two years, the coverage of bus priority measures will be enhanced with 30 more kilometres of bus lanes and the Mandatory Give Way to Buses Scheme will be increased by another 150 bus stops. The number of bus hubs, where several buses can pick up passengers at the same time, will also be quadrupled from the existing 10. Enforcement of bus priority schemes will be stepped up, as infringements will result in delays for buses.