More buses for feeder routes in Bedok, Woodlands, Ang Mo Kio, Boon Lay

ComfortDelGro bus service 651 in Jurong West. ComfortDelGro Bus will run Service 222P, which will ply New Upper Changi Road, Chai Chee Road, Chai Chee Street and Chai Chee Drive before heading back to Bedok MRT station. -- ST FILE PHOTO: AZIZ HU
ComfortDelGro bus service 651 in Jurong West. ComfortDelGro Bus will run Service 222P, which will ply New Upper Changi Road, Chai Chee Road, Chai Chee Street and Chai Chee Drive before heading back to Bedok MRT station. -- ST FILE PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN

Four heavily-used feeder routes will get a service boost this month, after private bus operators start plying short services on those routes.

The operators will run buses along the busiest stretches of the feeder routes 222, 240, 268 and 912 during peak hours to ease crowding and reduce waiting times.

The start dates for the four "peak period short services" are: April 14 for service 912P in Woodlands; April 22 for service 240P in Boon Lay; April 29 for service 222P in Bedok; and May 6 for service 268P in Ang Mo Kio.

The private operators will run at least five trips per hour during the weekday morning and evening peak periods, excluding public holidays. These routes will charge distance fares, similar to the feeder routes they overlay.

Commute Solutions and BT&Tan Transport will run service 912P, which will start from Woodlands Regional Interchange and ply Woodlands Avenue 5, Avenue 2, Avenue 1 and loop at Woodlands Street 41 before returning to Woodlands Regional Interchange. It will operate between 6am and 8am and between 5.15pm and 7.15pm.

Tong Tar Transport Services will start Service 240P from Lakeside MRT Station, which will ply Boon Lay Way, Corporation Road, Boon Lay Drive, Boon Lay Place and Boon Lay Avenue, and make a loop at Jurong West Street 64 to connect to Boon Lay MRT Station, before returning to Lakeside MRT Station. It will operate between 6am and 7.30am and between 5pm and 6.30pm.

ComfortDelGro Bus will run Service 222P, which will ply New Upper Changi Road, Chai Chee Road, Chai Chee Street and Chai Chee Drive before heading back to Bedok MRT station. 222P will operate between 5.45am and 7.45am and between 4.45pm and 6.45pm.

Service 268P will serve Ang Mo Kio Ave 9, Ave 4, Ave 3 and end at the bus stop outside Ang Mo Kio MRT Station, before taking a reverse route back. It will operate between 6.30am and 8.30am and between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

These short services come after the Transport Ministry announced last year that it would tap on private operators to augment the services provided by public transport operators. They come under the $1.1 billion Bus Service Enhancement Programme.

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