LTA studying feasibility of Bus Rapid Transit system for Tuas South

SINGAPORE – A new mode of public transport – Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – is under study as part of efforts to boost connectivity in Tuas South, said Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow.

Speaking at the Singapore Rail Test Centre on July 31, he said the BRT will likely take the shape of high-capacity buses or trackless trams that run on dedicated lanes with priority at traffic junctions and stations designed for quick boarding and alighting.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said this would provide faster and more reliable connections between workplaces and existing and future MRT stations.

Tuas South was selected for the study as it is home to major developments such as Tuas Port and is expected to see further growth. As more businesses and jobs are added, commuter numbers and travel demand are expected to rise, it said.

LTA said the BRT could complement the MRT and conventional buses by providing a medium-capacity transport option.

Operating on dedicated lanes with traffic signal priority, BRT vehicles can travel faster and more reliably than conventional buses while carrying more passengers, particularly during peak periods.

Compared with MRT and LRT systems, BRT requires less dedicated infrastructure and offers greater flexibility to adjust routes, making it a potentially cost-effective and scalable solution for medium-density corridors such as Tuas South, LTA said.

The prospect of a BRT system in Singapore was floated in the 2008 Land Transport Masterplan, which said LTA had plans to study the merits of such a system.

It added that the system combines the reliability of rapid transit systems with the flexibility offered by buses. As one lane will be permanently removed for other vehicles, the overall traffic impact will need to be carefully studied, the plan said.

BRT systems tend to fall into two categories: conventional BRT and tram-like BRT.

Conventional systems use vehicles ranging from single buses to articulated (two-section) and bi-articulated (three-section) buses. Tram-like systems use longer vehicles, sometimes with driver’s cabins at both ends, and may include virtual guidance and automation.

Both types of BRT systems typically operate on dedicated lanes with traffic signal priority. They may also feature fare payment at stations instead of on the bus, as well as platforms that are flush with the level of the vehicle or ground, to speed up boarding and reduce the time spent at a station.

LTA said it will evaluate the range of BRT options for Tuas South, including their costs and benefits, and assess whether the system is suitable for long-term implementation. More details will be announced later.

Siow said transport connectivity in Tuas today depends mainly on the East-West Line. From Boon Lay station, it takes about 30 minutes by car to reach industrial estates in Tuas South, and even longer to get to Tuas Port or Jurong Island.

Connectivity improved with the extension of the East-West Line to Tuas West, and will improve further when the Cross Island Line and Jurong Region Line open, he added.

But more can be done to boost connectivity to Tuas South, he said, given the area’s growing industrial base and the progressive opening of Tuas Port.

Siow said the authorities will give an update on the BRT study “probably by next year”.

He said: “If feasible in Tuas, Bus Rapid Transit systems can be a promising and cost-effective mode of transport for the rest of Singapore, sitting in between buses and trains.”

Transport experts said a BRT system would be well suited to Tuas South.

Dr Samuel Chng, head of the Urban Psychology Lab at the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, said Tuas South’s wide industrial roads and future developments make it a suitable location for a BRT system.

He said: “In a BRT system, higher-capacity vehicles can move large groups of workers during shift changes, while routes and service levels can be adjusted as employment locations and travel patterns evolve.”

However, he added that dedicated lanes must be “sufficiently continuous and properly enforced”.

If BRT vehicles repeatedly merge into mixed traffic or get delayed at junctions, much of the system’s reliability advantage will disappear, he said.

Chng said: “The value of BRT comes from the entire system: dedicated right-of-way, junction priority, well-designed stations, rapid boarding and disciplined operations”.

A BRT system, he added, has a capacity ceiling and should not be seen as a substitute for rail on every corridor.

He said: “If demand becomes too high, overcrowding and vehicle congestion at stations can erode performance. The system should therefore be designed with a clear expansion strategy and an understanding of when rail may ultimately be required.”

If the Tuas South system proves successful, BRT can be rolled out in other parts of Singapore, he said.

It would be best suited to medium- or high-demand corridors that do not yet justify rail and have enough road space for dedicated lanes, such as growing industrial and logistics areas or links between MRT stations and dispersed destinations.

Associate Professor Raymond Ong, from the National University of Singapore Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said Tuas South was a good fit, and workers there have few transport options beyond company buses, private-hire cars and taxis.

Demand and travel patterns, however, will determine the system’s success.

For instance, Chng said planners would need to examine where workers live, which MRT stations they use, their shift timings and how dispersed their workplaces are.

Future demand, Ong said, could grow substantially once the Cross Island Line and Jurong Region Line open. He also said BRT could work in other new estates, where transport networks are still being planned, rather than mature estates with well-established transport systems.

BRT is a practical option for Tuas South because it is relatively quick and inexpensive to implement, and the infrastructure is simpler to build than rail, while bi-articulated and tri-articulated buses are already commercially available, making the system easier to roll out, Ong added.