Forum: Allow heavy goods vehicles to use bus lanes

As a regular bus commuter, I have observed that our bus lanes are rarely congested, even with buses running at maximum frequency during peak hours.

It begs the question of whether the spare capacity can be put to better use, especially in a land-scarce nation like Singapore.

The authorities may consider allowing bus lanes to be used by heavy goods vehicles on a pilot basis. As such vehicles make up a very small proportion of the total vehicle population, their presence in bus lanes is unlikely to affect bus travel times. By making better use of the road space, we can enhance the traffic flow on regular lanes, which eases the overall pressure on road infrastructure.

Bus lanes were designed to ensure timely public transport, not as exclusive conduits at the expense of efficient road use.

Let’s reimagine their use as a step towards optimising Singapore’s transportation framework.

Peter Heng Teck Wee