Controversy over Thomson-East Coast Line 3 Bus Rationalisation

Transport planning is an unenviable task of balancing the needs of commuters with the efficient use of resources. While unprofitable and underutilized bus routes have been curtained in the past, the recent move to discontinue Services 162M and 167 and amend Services 75, 121, 162 and 859 has struck discord with residents of Sembawang, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan and Bukit Merah, with members of the public calling for a stop to these arrangements.

This article presents comments from our writers regarding these amendments, with a focus on the discontinuation of Bus Service 167.

In response to the criticisms, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) deferred its decision to discontinue Bus Service 167, in an announcement made on 28 November 2023. The route will be operated at 30-minute intervals starting from 17 December 2023, without ruling out a future discontinuation of the route.

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The original planned amendments

As announced on 17 November 2023, Bus Service 75 will be amended to terminate at Bukit Merah, while Bus Service 121 will be extended to cover lost sectors of Service 75 between Outram Park MRT Station and residential developments along Cantonment Road. In addition, Bus Service 162 will be shortened to Sin Ming Drive, removing its Upper Thomson – Shenton Way sector, while Bus Service 859 will be amended to Canberra Link and Sembawang Rd, partially covering the deleted sectors of Service 167 in Sembawang.

 

Prior to the opening of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), residents of Sembawang, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio and Bishan Towns have long relied on a combination of the North South Line (NSL), Circle Line (CCL) (for Bishan residents) and other major trunk bus services to travel to and from the city and residential towns in the Eastern and Western regions of Singapore.

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17 November 2023 – Public Reactions

These amendments were first announced in a press release by the LTA on Friday, 17 November 2023, three weeks ahead of the bus service discontinuation. Public reactions to these bus route discontinuations were overwhelmingly negative, as seen from reactions to its Facebook post and Instagram post. Most discontent was directed to the discontinuation of Service 167, over the amendments to Services 75 and 162.

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28 November 2023 – Announcement of revised plans

LTA responded to the ‘public concern’ over the controversy during the following week on 28 November 2023, justifying the decision to discontinue Services 162M and 167, as well as shortening the routes of Services 75 and 162.

In the media release, they highlighted that they had looked at the availability of alternative travel routes, including the TEL, after accounting for waiting times and time taken for transfers. Their calculations indicated that commuters travelling from Sembawang and Upper Thomson to the city area can enjoy average time savings of about 15 minutes by switching to the TEL.

In addition, they also ensured that sufficient bus alternatives were available for the affected bus services:

• Service 75 (between Outram Road & Marina Centre): 196, 970
• Service 162 (between Upp Thomson Road & Shenton Way / Suntec City): 54, 143, 166, 980
• Service 167: 143, 166, 196, 980

Regardless, the LTA announced changes to the original plans, i.e. the deferring of Bus Service 167’s withdrawal, and the implementation date was now deferred to 17 December 2023, instead of 10 December 2023.

• Service 167 will be retained for now to give affected commuters “more time to adjust, and to try out the new travel routes”, operating at longer intervals of 30 minutes throughout the day.

The route amendments to Services 75, 121, 162 and 859, as well as the enhancement of the frequency for Service 980, would still proceed as planned on the deferred date.

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In Summary

• LTA initiated bus service changes to Sembawang and Upper Thomson:
  • Discontinuation of Services 162M & 167
  • Route cutback of Service 75 to Bukit Merah; omitting Outram Park – Marina Centre sector
  • Route cutback of Service 162 to Sin Ming; omitting Upper Thomson – Shenton Way sector
  • Route amendment of Service 121 to Shenton Way, covering lost sectors of Services 75 and 167
  • Route amendment of Service 859 to Canberra Rd, Canberra Link & Sembawang Rd, covering lost sectors of Service 167
• The LTA had outlined financial prudence as its primary consideration for the discontinuation of Service 167 and route cutback of Services 75 & 162
• Ridership of Service 75, 162/162M & 167 declined after the opening of the Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 3, with demand for each affected service declining by 30% to 40%
• Alternative public transport routes exist for all affected sectors
• Revised bus amendments were announced that fulfilled the LTA’s objectives:
  • Route amendments to Services 75, 121, 162 & 859 to proceed
  • Service 167 was to be retained for now, operating at reduced intervals of 30 minutes throughout the day
  • Full-day frequency enhancement for Service 980
• Implementation date of bus service changes was deferred to 17 December 2023, instead of 10 December 2023

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Revised Operator Posters

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Bus Service 167: Reasons for and against

Note: The opinions expressed here are from our guest writers, and were written ahead of revised plans announced on 28 November 2023.

Reasons for retaining Service 167

1. Complement loading on Bus Service 196/980

With many Sembawang residents relying on Services 167 and 980 between Sembawang and the City, Service 167 serves to distribute out the crowds on these trunk routes. Service 167 serves the Orchard and Shenton Way areas, which are regions not served by Service 980. (Service 980 serves Little India and Bugis)

Moreover, Service 167 also complements Service 196 between Bukit Merah and Shenton Way. As a long distance trunk route between Bedok and Clementi, Service 196 often experiences overcrowding on various segments of its route, and frequently faces reliability issues. Service 167 serves as a complementary route between the eastern section of Jalan Bukit Merah and Shenton Way, helping to relieve the heavy demand faced by Service 196 during weekday peak hours.

2. Loss of bus connectivity along Sembawang / Upper Thomson Roads

Residents living along Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road (between Yishun Avenue 5 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1) only have Services 167 and 980 to rely on for direct links along long stretches of the roads. The loss of Service 167 will mean the loss of a direct bus service to the City areas, and lower bus frequencies to and from Springleaf and Upper Thomson MRT and nearby amenities given the present low frequency of Bus Service 980 of about 15 – 20 minutes.

3. Increased travel time and hassle

For Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road residents, alternatives offered to Service 167 involve taking parallel buses (Service 166 or 980) to Novena MRT Station and transferring to various bus services, or the NSL, or taking a bus (Service 132, 138, 165, 166, 169, 860 or 980) and transferring to the TEL at Springleaf or Upper Thomson MRT Stations.

However, the need to transfer between multiple bus routes or between bus/train, as well as the long walking distances to the MRT exits at Springleaf and Upper Thomson MRT Stations, is an added inconvenience to Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road residents. This also increases travel time to destinations in the City. Additionally, residents have pointed out that the TEL is already crowded during the peak hours.

4. Car-lite nation

In recent years, the LTA has pursued the long-term strategy of cultivating a car-lite nation, in part by improving the speed and connectivity of public transport. In its Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) 2040, it also envisions a ‘45-minute city’, where most commuters would spend no more than 45 minutes to complete journeys between their home and workplace.

It would seem like the move by LTA to discontinue bus routes contradicts its long-term strategy for promoting a car-lite society. The move to discontinue Service 167 reducing the attractiveness of public transport to Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road residents, especially given the key connections Service 167 brings to the area.

Many residents of Sembawang and Chong Pang rely on Service 167 as the most direct and fastest option to and from the City areas of Orchard Road, City Hall and Raffles Place. The loss of Service 167 will mean the loss of a direct bus service between the Northern region and the City. Despite its poor frequency, most people do not mind the longer wait with the benefit of a direct bus link between the far ends of the island.

Reasons for discontinuing Service 167

1. Availability of existing public transport connections

The Northern region of Singapore already benefits from relatively robust public transport connections. Apart from alternative rail connections via the Circle Line (which bypasses the City), several full-day bus services like Services 851, 857 and 980 offer direct connections between Sembawang / Yishun and the city centre.

Currently, LTA’s approach to building up the public transport network revolves around the hub and spoke model, where the rail network forms the backbone of the public transport network, and feeder bus services connecting these transport nodes with residential estates. This concept allows more origin and destination pairs to be served, by transferring between different modes of public transport (bus or train) that can be maintained at high frequencies.

2. Duplicity of existing bus routes

Service 167 is fully duplicated by other bus routes along key sectors of its route, such as:

• Services 5, 57, 131, 132, 851: between Thomson Rd and Bukit Merah (via alternative routes)
• Services 16/16M, 123: between Orchard Rd / Blvd and Bukit Merah (via alternative routes)
• Service 143: between Thomson Rd and Orchard Rd / Penang Rd (until Clemenceau Ave)
• Service 196: between Anson Rd / Shenton Way and Jln Bt Merah
• Service 980: between Sembawang Rd (from Canberra Rd) and Thomson Rd

By using other trunk bus services to the City, destinations served by Bus Service 167 can be reached from Sembawang / Chong Pang / Upper Thomson with 1 transfer.

3. Ridership decline post-TEL3

After the TEL Phase 3 opened in November 2022, there was a 30% to 40% decline in ridership for bus services that run parallel to the MRT line, including Bus Services 75 (between Outram Road and Marina Centre), 162/162M (between Upper Thomson Road and Shenton Way / Suntec City) & 167.

The low ridership is evident from ground observations, with only a small number of passengers taking Service 167 between Sembawang/Chong Pang and the City. Furthermore, most passengers along Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road often choose between taking Bus Services 167 and 980, since the frequencies of both routes are poor, with buses on both services often arriving at the bus stops simultaneously. The LTA would have access to accurate ridership data through farecard information when passengers tap in and tap out on the card readers when boarding and alighting.

On the other hand, Services 166 and 980 remain well patronised after the opening of the TEL3, and thus were not earmarked for rationalisation.

4. In line with bus rationalization efforts over the years

The rationalization of Bus Service 167 is in line with LTA’s past efforts to rationalize bus routes following the opening of new rail lines. For example, many bus services along the Serangoon Road corridor were curtailed or discontinued following the opening of the North East Line (NEL) in 2003.

However, rationalization efforts in recent years have been far less aggressive, with measures limited to reducing the number of high-capacity buses on MRT-duplicating bus routes, as was the case for the Downtown Line (DTL) Stages 2 and 3.

Main Article: Rationalisation of Bus Service Operations

Counterarguments to reasons supporting discontinuation:

1. TEL as an ineffective alternative

Despite planning public transport around the hub and spoke model, there still leaves room for key point-to-point express services that can be justified by passenger demand. The continued success of Bus Services 166 and 980 even after the opening of the TEL shows that forcing commuters to use the TEL is a less effective means of getting to the City, particularly due to the long walking distances to access the exits of some of its MRT stations. This form of access penalty particularly inconveniences the elderly and less mobile.

2. Sufficient existing resources to operate new routes

When announcing the withdrawal of Bus Service 167, LTA cited the need to ‘reallocate our finite resources as required’, such as serving residents of emerging new towns around Singapore. While LTA is right to exercise prudence in the use of public funds, it had in recent years, over-procured buses in the desire to reinforce critical stretches of the rail network with buses in the event of rail disruption as highlighted in the Committee of Supply Debate 2018.

With the success of rail renewal efforts in boosting rail reliability, these duplicating services have been largely withdrawn, and as of December 2023, LTA is keeping over a hundred registered buses in storage due to the lack of use for these buses, in what Minister for Transport S Iswaran formerly dubbed an ‘operational reserve’.

What LTA can do:

For the planned discontinuation of Service 167, there are several courses of action that LTA could take:

1. Do nothing

This was the most likely option based on bus rationalisation exercises in the past, such as the DTL3 bus rationalisation conducted in December 2021 that saw a significant cutback of Bus Service 22 and 66. Based on past experiences, online sentiment will blow over, and the general public will acquiesce to its planning decisions. Affected commuters would adopt alternative travel routes after the discontinuation of Service 167.

2. Throw in the towel

As it had done previously in 2015, the LTA could choose to defer or cancel the proposed discontinuation of Service 167. This would buy it some time to re-evaluate alternatives, and placate negative public sentiment towards the discontinuation.

3. Amend Service 167 to expand its catchment area

One of many suggestions offered is to avoid outright cancellation of Service 167. Amending the route (particularly between Sembawang Bus Interchange and Upper Thomson Road) to expand its catchment area could increase passenger demand for Service 167.

4. Amend other bus services to Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road

To continue offering direct Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road – City connections, another city-bound bus route like Service 851 could be amended to Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road. However, the amendment of any service to Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road would inconvenience existing commuters with longer journey time, and loss of bus connections along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 / Marymount Road, which is also insufficiently served by existing MRT lines.

As a compromise, a peak-hour connection like City Direct Bus Service 656 could be made to serve various bus stops along Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road, in place of other full-day bus services, since it currently operates an express sector along both roads to get to/from Sembawang Town.

What LTA eventually did:

After further review of the bus service changes by the LTA, it appears that Option 2 was selected. To maintain connectivity between Sembawang Road / Upper Thomson Road, Jalan Bukit Merah and the City areas of Orchard Road, Bras Basah and Shenton Way, Service 167 was revised to operate at intervals of 30 minutes throughout the day.

In their subsequent statement on 28 November 2023, the LTA had explicitly stated that the retention of Service 167 was to give affected commuters ‘more time to adjust’, and use alternative travel routes to get to their destinations. This indicates that the retention of Service 167 is likely an interim measure, with the possibility of further changes to the service, or even the permanent discontinuation of the service, in the near future.

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Route Amendment to Service 162 & Discontinuation of Service 162M

Similar to Service 167, Service 162 also serves the City areas of Orchard Road and Raffles Place on weekdays and Saturdays, but connects the internal neighbourhoods of Ang Mo Kio and Bishan to these destinations instead. Moreover, Service 162M operates as an alternate route to Suntec City / Marina Centre during off peak periods daily.

However, the amended route for Service 162 may see limited benefits to Sin Ming residents, despite its connections to various MRT stations along the CCL and TEL:

1. The amended Service 162 takes a long-winded route from Sin Ming estate via Shunfu Road, Marymount Road and Marymount Lane, before connecting to Upper Thomson MRT.
2. Moreover, the amended Service 162 is only able to serve Marymount MRT in the direction towards Sin Ming estate only. Service 162 is unable to serve Bus stop 53129 (Opp Marymount Stn) when returning to Yio Chu Kang, due to right filtering from Marymount Road to Marymount Lane.

Alternatives

Service 162 could be amended to take a more direct route to Sin Ming estate via Sin Ming Road / Jalan Todak instead. However, this will require sacrificing the additional proposed links to Marymount MRT Station and Shunfu Road.

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Route Amendment to Service 859

The route amendment to Service 859 is necessary to bridge lost bus connections between Sembawang MRT and Sembawang Road (between Canberra Link and Canberra Road), with the initially proposed discontinuation of Service 167.

However, the amended Service 859 results in longer travelling time for residents travelling between Yishun, Chong Pang City and Sembawang West (Sembawang Crescent / Admiralty Drive / Sembawang Drive). Moreover, residents along Canberra Link are more likely to prefer Services 117/117M or 883/883M to Sembawang MRT Station, as they connect directly to/from the bus stops in front of the MRT station along Sembawang Way, while the amended Service 859 drops off passengers at the bus stops outside Sembawang Bus Interchange along Sembawang Vista. The short distance between Canberra Link and Sembawang MRT Station also means that some residents would rather walk or cycle to the MRT station instead.

Alternatives

Service 856, which operates a similar route to Service 859 towards Yishun, could also have been selected to replace the deleted sector of Service 167 along Sembawang Road. With this alternative proposal, the deleted sectors of Service 856 along Canberra Road (between Canberra Link and Sembawang Road) will remain served by Services 859 and 981.

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Route Amendment to Services 75 & 121

The last amendment involves curtailing Service 75 from Bukit Panjang (Woodlands Road) to terminate at Bukit Merah Bus Interchange, removing the Outram Park – Marina Centre sector. This route amendment is most easily justified, given its duplication with the current TEL and other bus services along Outram Road, Cantonment Road, Tanjong Pagar, Raffles Place and Marina Centre.

To replace the deleted sectors of Service 75 between Outram Park MRT Station and residential developments along Cantonment Road, Service 121 will be diverted from Kampong Bahru Bus Terminal to travel along Cantonment Link / Road, terminating at Shenton Way Bus Terminal.

One criticism of this move is the reduction of connectivity between Outram Park and Marina Centre, which can be achieved by transferring between Services 121/196 and Services 97/106/133 at Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, or between the NEL and CCL at Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station, or TEL to CCL at Marina Bay MRT Station.

Alternative bus routes are:

• Services 10, 57, 100, 107, 130 & 196: Between Anson Road / Shenton Way and Raffles Place MRT Station
• Services 97, 106 & 133: Between Anson Road / Shenton Way and Marina Centre
• Services 121 (amended) & 196: Between Outram Park MRT Station and Anson Road / Shenton Way

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Continued on Page 2:

• Media Coverage after the Initial Announcement on the Discontinuation of Bus Service 167 (Nov 2023)
• Parliamentary Question (PQ) filed by Member of Parliament (MP) Gerald Giam (Jan 2024)