fugs: Service 163 and 163A (again)!

Friday, August 18, 2006

Audio : Listen

Damn! I hate to do this complaining stuff, but... WTF is wrong with the bus service in Sengkang?!?!?

I have to take bus Service 163 to send Lucas to school every morning. Service 163A was introduced to the Sengkang part of Service 163's route recently. "More trips at times that matter" - that's what the signboard says. Yah, but what is the use when the extra 'short trips' come so closely behind the standard one?

Here is an example.

Service 163 (standard route) comes along at its normal 15-20 minute interval. Service 163A (short trip route) comes almost immediately behind it. This will make sense if the problem for this particular service was overloading, but apparently, it is not. The problem with Service 163 (at least for the Sengkang part of its route) is that usually, we had to wait at least 15-20 minutes in the morning for the bus. Service 163 is the only bus from Fernvale Road (Sengkang) that connects the bus interchange at Compass Point.

For some residents who are going to Sengkang Eastway, etc., they will either have to take Service 163 or take the LRT (West loop) and transit to another LRT (East loop) service at Sengkang centre. Therefore, the wait for the bus, especially in the morning rush hour, can be very frustrating.

Another 'aggravating' factor to the frustration is that the Service 163A bus will usually wait at the bus stop (red star) before the one it is supposed to start its service (yellow star). People waiting at the bus stop (yellow star) can see it waiting there. Sometimes, it stops there for at least 25 minutes, and moving off only when Service 163 comes along.

- The red star is where Service 163A waits
- The yellow star is where we wait for the bus
- Solid arrowed line is normal Service 163 route
- Dotted arrowed line is where Service 163A joins the route

Things that I hear people grumble about while waiting at (yellow star):

Auntie going to market...
"Why have extra service when it comes only when the normal one comes?"

A mother with her kid...
"If it (Service 163A) has to wait there, why not wait at interchange until time is right then come out?"

Uncle smoking Marlboro...
Nah beh! Pay more money get lousier service!

I know it sounds like I made those up, but NO I did not! These are what I hear almost daily from the people waiting at the bus stop!

It is a frustrating life indeed!