LTA amends planned changes in Bukit Panjang bus routes after week-long discussions, petitions

SINGAPORE - The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has amended some of its planned changes to key bus services in Bukit Panjang after week-long discussions involving MPs and regulators.

On Thursday (Aug 13), it was revealed that existing bus routes will be modified to allay the concerns brought up by the estate's residents. Three petitions with a total of more than 5,000 signatures were sent to the authorities.

The LTA said on Aug 4 that it was removing two bus services linking Bukit Panjang directly to the city, and rerouting two others, prompting complaints from residents about longer travelling times and the lack of a direct connection to town.

Bus services 700 and 700A linking Bukit Panjang to areas such as Orchard Road, Bras Basah and Shenton Way, were to stop operating, while service 171, which links Yishun to Marina Centre and passes Bukit Panjang, would be shortened.

Service 972, which links Bukit Panjang to Orchard Road, would have been rerouted to Newton MRT station.

The LTA said ridership had fallen with the inauguration of the Downtown Line in 2015, and subsidising parallel bus services was no longer financially prudent.

But residents said the Downtown Line was not a reasonable alternative, as many still have to walk a distance or board transfer services to get to the nearest MRT station.

In response, Senior Minister of State for Transport Chee Hong Tat and MPs stepped in, and the LTA made some changes on Thursday.

To continue providing those living in Petir Road a direct connection to town during peak hours after the withdrawal of bus service 700, the current peak-hour express service 971E will be amended to a peak-hour non-express service 971.

It will serve more bus stops so that commuters can alight at more stops nearer their destinations and, as a non-express service, will be up to 60 cents cheaper.

Its operating hours will also be longer, from 6.30am to 8.30am and 6.05pm to 7.35pm.

Commuters during non-peak hours can continue to take service 973, which will have more buses to improve its frequency, to the Downtown Line.

Meanwhile, Service 972 will continue to ply its old route so that fares and travelling time are unaffected.

These resolved the two main grouses of residents, namely the connectivity between Petir Road and town, and the additional travelling time that the rerouting of service 972 would have caused.

However, a portion of service 972 buses will still be redirected to Scotts Road and Newton MRT in a new Service 972M, which will mean a longer wait time for residents, as there will be fewer buses.

The LTA has given assurances that more buses will be added if there is crowding or long waiting times.

It has also agreed to defer changes to all four bus services - 972, 171, 700 and 700A - from the initial Aug 16 date to Aug 30 to give bus operators time to prepare for the changes.

Bukit Panjang MP Liang Eng Hwa, who has been an outspoken critic of the LTA's initial decision, said finding a compromise has not been easy.

He, together with Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Edward Chia, had worked through the National Day weekend with the Transport Ministry and the LTA to explore some alternatives that had been suggested.

Mr Liang, who was re-elected to a fourth-term as an MP in the recent general election, is known for his contributions to the area's transport.

He said: "Bukit Panjang Town has the benefit of the three modes of public transport to serve our residents and we intend to keep it that way.

"Buses will remain as an essential mode of transport for our residents and we will continue to work with LTA to improve the services."

He is particularly pleased that service 972, which was his brainchild, will remain unchanged, as it is already a "heavily utilised workhorse".

Bukit Panjang resident Elliot Lin, who started one of the three petitions to the authorities, said he was at first not optimistic that his actions would make a difference but saw a ray of hope when LTA began engaging MPs.

"We recognise the effort that has gone into this solution, so for that we are satisfied," said Mr Lin, 35, a realtor.

However, he said that instead of adding Service 973 buses to link non-peak commuters in Petir Road to the Downtown Line, a more ideal solution would be to alter the new 972M service so it passes through Petir Road and Dairy Farm Road.

This would give residents in Petir Road a non-MRT alternative to the city during non-peak hours, cutting travelling time by about 15 minutes.

"It seems unfair for people to be excluded from more convenience to make up for the unprofitability of the Downtown Line," Mr Lin said.

Mr Chee and Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung had said earlier that the affected bus services and the Downtown Line require heavy government subsidies and there is a need to exercise prudence in spending public funds.

Bus services 171 and 700 need $14 million in public funds to keep running, while about $60 million a year in public funds goes towards subsidising operations for a stretch of the Downtown Line connecting Bukit Panjang to the city.

Mr Chee said: "I seek everyone's understanding that we need some give and take in such situations, to cater to different groups of commuters while ensuring prudent use of public funds."