In terms of waiting time, rail services beat bus services hands down.

But the impact on commuters is greater for rail delays than for bus delays, as rail caters to mass crowds, whereas buses cater to a smaller number of commuters ("Bus service reliability shouldn't come from rewards" by Mr Paul Chan Poh Hoi; May 17, and "Reliability of buses: 27 out of 34 services improve"; May 10).

Nevertheless, there is no excuse for bus delays for two reasons: Waiting times for buses are much longer, and the speed of buses is much slower, given traffic stops, jams and meandering routes.

Bus operators and drivers should ensure buses start their journeys on time, and this should be closely monitored.

Gan Kok Tiong