Long wait for SMRT service 190 due to bus breakdown and traffic congestion: LTA

Commuters were made to wait longer than usual for SMRT bus service 190 on Oct 4 due to a bus breakdown and traffic congestion, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in a press statement on Tuesday.

The LTA found that SMRT had operated 33 instead of 39 bus trips from 9pm to midnight due to a bus breakdown and traffic congestion along the Pan Island Expressway and Chua Choa Kang Way.

It said this in response to an incident where a frustrated commuter put up a video online, claiming she was unable to board the service 13 times that night. "SMRT should have responded better to the delays... and take measures to maintain service levels on service 190," LTA added.

To deal with the congestion, SMRT has since added six more half-way trips on Friday evenings along the route, deploying empty buses from Somerset to ensure commuters can board. A new trunk service going from Bukit Panjang to Orchard Road will also be launched in mid-November this year, which will give commuters another option and ease crowding, the LTA added.

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