Errant drivers may be fined $130 from March; move is part of plan to speed up bus trips
By
Maria Almenoar
FROM next March, motorists who do not yield to buses exiting bus bays could find themselves facing a $130 fine.
Transport officials announced the penalty yesterday as part of a plan to speed up bus journeys, almost 10 per cent of which is wasted as drivers fight their way out of bays.
About two dozen stops across the island will soon have new signs and road markings warning drivers to steer clear of buses pulling out.
The scheme will start with selected bus stops along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 on Dec 20, followed by more bus stops along Bukit Batok East Avenue 3 and Toh Tuck Road a week later.
After a three-month grace period, drivers will face the prospect of fines if they are caught breaking the rules.
SBS Transit bus captain Wong Puck Chiang, who has been plying the roads for eight years, said the changes would make his job 'less stressful'.
He spends up to two minutes trying to exit at many of the bus stops along his route from Jurong East to Bedok.
Said the 53-year-old: 'During peak hours especially, people are rushing to work and no one wants to give way.
'I have to inch out slowly and then put my hand out and wave to drivers to give way. It's very stressful because we are trying to keep to our schedule.'
A study by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has shown that 10 per cent of a bus' total journey time is spent trying to exit from bus bays.
At the new stops, yellow lines will be painted on the road marking areas that are off limits to drivers when buses are pulling out.
A blue sign 100m before the bus stop will remind motorists that they have to give way, while white triangular markings on the road will encourage them to slow down.
If all goes well, more bus stops, especially those along roads with high volumes of traffic, will be included in the scheme.
Land Transport Authority chief executive Yam Ah Mee said yesterday that the plan was unlikely to slow the speed of motorists significantly.
The new scheme is part of the Government's push to make public transport more attractive to users. The drive includes more bus lanes, additional premium bus services and fundamental changes in the way bus routes are planned, with the LTA taking over from private transport companies.
