The transport situation at Little India was much calmer than usual with foreign workers queuing up properly, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew.

He was visiting the area to observe the scene on Sunday evening, with the resumption of private bus services to the Indian enclave after a one week suspension.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had implemented new queuing arrangements at both bus pick-up points at Tekka Lane and Hampshire Road, which helped control the crowds waiting for buses.

Mr Lui told The Straits Times: "What we hope to do is to be able to get more space where people can queue up properly, maybe even under shelter, and then there's the possibility that buses can overtake along Hampshire Road itself. So we will continue to make improvements on this."

He also thanked the two bus associations - the Singapore School Transport Association and the Singapore School and Private Hire Bus Owners' Association - for supporting the LTA's move to halve the number of buses plying to Little India. "Once this thing stabilises, we will review it and see what more we can do."

Bus services were scheduled to stop at 9pm, two hours earlier than the usual 11pm. The buses were allowed to continue picking up workers after 9pm , though LTA staff and police officers stopped more workers from joining the queue.