SINGAPORE - Commuters using Pasir Ris Bus Interchange will be able to enjoy upgraded facilities starting on July 3, including sheltered, barrier-free berths and priority queue zones with seats.
There will be no changes to the bus routes operating from the bus terminal, but the respective services will use new boarding and alighting berths, the Land Transport Authority said.
The dedicated shuttle bus service for Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) servicemen travelling to and from the SAF Ferry Terminal will also continue to operate from the interchange. There will be a designated waiting area for the shuttle service at the reconfigured terminal, LTA added.
The reconfiguration of the bus terminal serves to facilitate the construction of a new Pasir Ris Integrated Transport Hub (ITH), which is expected to be completed in 2028, and the Pasir Ris rail turnback, which is slated to be completed in 2024, the LTA said on Sunday (June 20).
A turnback is a section of track where the train driver can stop, swap ends of the train and "turn back" the way they came.
The reconfigured interchange will include a new section along Pasir Ris Central.
Posters and directional signs will be placed around the reconfigured interchange and service ambassadors will be deployed to guide commuters.
Transport Minister S. Iswaran said in a Facebook post that part of the existing bus interchange will be demolished next month to make way for the future ITH and rail turnback. The new reconfigured interchange will continue to be run by bus operator Go-Ahead Singapore, and will be operational until the ITH is completed.
With the reconfiguration, LTA said the bus terminal will have more spacious boarding points at all of its berths, and graduated kerb edges to facilitate the boarding of passengers in wheelchairs and parents with strollers.
There will be a total of 11 berths for boarding and two for alighting.
All will be sheltered and barrier-free.
There will also be priority queue zones with seats, barrier-free toilets, a nursing room, as well as a family toilet with facilities for children.
A room has also been set aside for commuters with special needs who may require access to a quiet, calming space.
LTA said the staff canteen and staff lounge at the bus terminal have also been upgraded, and there will be dedicated staff toilets and a room for cleaners to rest.
The reconfigured terminal will also have a reverse warning system with blinking lights that will alert bus drivers when other buses are reversing.
There will be 150 bicycle parking spaces at the reconfigured interchange. In addition, the terminal will also feature a green roof and energy-efficient lights.
LTA said it will closely monitor bus operations at the reconfigured interchange, and will make adjustments if needed. Mr Iswaran, who visited the reconfigured interchange on Sunday, added: "LTA has worked closely with the community and local advisers on these changes and to minimise any inconveniences."
An ITH is a fully air-conditioned bus interchange that is linked to MRT stations and adjacent commercial developments such as shopping malls.
The Pasir Ris ITH will be Singapore's 15th ITH when it is completed.
Meanwhile, the Pasir Ris rail turnback will allow trains to switch directions more efficiently, compared with existing crossings.
It will be the first scissor cross-over rail turnback here that will be positioned behind a terminal station, and its construction will involve extending railway tracks beyond Pasir Ris MRT station to accommodate the cross-tracks.
