992 is 6.1km in its longest direction, I think 181 being bidirectional is fine, especially since LTA seems to be aiming for shorter routes. Besides we don’t know if it’ll wind through Bulim, then again if it doesn’t do so in Tengah we can probably expect it not to
The newly added map showing 2 of the 181 bus stops is interesting. Now I would really like to know where it links to from Bulim side, can’t tell. After yesterday’s JRL delay announcement, hope 181’s route makes sense for commuters needing it.
To be honest, the extension of Service 181 to Tengah does not seem especially interesting, particularly as it does not connect to any of Tengah’s neighbourhood centres.
The only real advantage, I suppose, is that it would shorten the public transport journey between Gek Poh and Tengah quite noticeably. Even so, passengers would still need to change to Services 992, 871 or 870 to get to Plantation Plaza, and to Service 97 if they wish to head towards Parc Point.
I’m actually more concerned about at least one new bus stop at where 181 currently turns around, at the tail end of Jurong West Avenue 3, and that bus stop is yet to be open for use.
Will 181 purposely make a stop over there, just like how 983 call at Keat Hong Close, and how 84 call at New Punggol Road (at the tail end of the road)? Or will they just simply relocate that not-yet-open new bus stops to Jurong West Street 22, to optimize resources?
Hopefully they can opt for the obvious straightforward solution of just relocating the yet-to-open new bus stops to the main road, rather than be creative just because that area happens to be Jurong Innovation District; economic effectiveness is then the practical way to do things.
Too late, there are already bus stops along Bulim Drive that will definitely used by 181 in the future, also possibly the main reason why its route to Tengah is taking some time.
Yesterday I was at Tengah. I take taxi from Tengah Garden Avenue to my home in Jurong West. The taxi took the slip road at Tengah Boulevard to enter PIE and then u-turn at Bukit Batok Road to go towards Jurong West.
I saw a new bus stop still covered in plastic at Tengah Boulevard next to the PIE slip road, which suggests that 181 will use that bus stop and that route.
Okay, so the route from Jurong West to Tengah is kinda clear: via Bulim industrial, also good that won’t duplicate 185 so much.
I’m curious about the route in Tengah. Hopefully it is not just Tengah Boulevard and straight into Tengah Bus Interchange. Hopefully it can connect to Parc Point and/or Plantation Plaza.
Bulim Walk looks like it is being extended, and the bus stops at the turnaround are labelled as Bulim Walk bus stops. (They also are BS-01 and BS-02, instead of the usual B01 and B02) so 181 will probably go through Bulim
If Service 181 is extended into the Bulim Industrial Area, it would effectively fulfil its original intention of serving the inner sectors of Wenya and Bulim, which has yet to materialise due to earlier changes in planning. In many ways, this would represent the first half of the initial proposal.
The second half of that original plan was, in all likelihood, to extend the route further towards Hong Kah and Taman Jurong, and ultimately to Jurong East. However, that particular function appears to have been assumed by the newer Service 49. As matters stand, the revised approach seems to be to link Service 181 with Tengah instead.
I must say, I have a strong suspicion that Service 181 may eventually be merged with Service 993, which is presently a rather short trunk route operating only within Bukit Batok and Jurong East. This would seem especially plausible if 181 were to run along Tengah Boulevard before turning into Tengah Park Avenue to serve Parc Point.
In the event of a merger, it would make sense to retain the more established service number, 181, particularly since 993 currently carries comparatively lower ridership. The vacated 993 number could then be reassigned to a new service within the Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang or Tengah areas, should future demand arise.
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Hopefully, LTA can allow SMRT to deploy bendy buses on 181, just like how SMRT deploys bendy bus on 180.
This would let Tengah have at least a period of time whereby bendy buses ever run on Tengah roads.
Just measured the likely route on URA space website.
Boon Lay Int to Tengah Int: 8.2km
Tengah Int to Boon Lay Int: 10.7km (due to the loop around Pan Island Expressway and Bukit Batok Road exit)
It’s still too short to be a trunk that has 2 directions.
And since it will continue to be operated by SMRT, it is likely that 181 will loop inside Tengah Int instead of terminate there.
And if that’s the case, might as well loop outside Parc Point at Tengah Park Avenue, which is the upcoming HDB mega mall that needs some catchment.
992 is 6.1km in its longest direction, I think 181 being bidirectional is fine, especially since LTA seems to be aiming for shorter routes. Besides we don’t know if it’ll wind through Bulim, then again if it doesn’t do so in Tengah we can probably expect it not to
The newly added map showing 2 of the 181 bus stops is interesting. Now I would really like to know where it links to from Bulim side, can’t tell. After yesterday’s JRL delay announcement, hope 181’s route makes sense for commuters needing it.
To be honest, the extension of Service 181 to Tengah does not seem especially interesting, particularly as it does not connect to any of Tengah’s neighbourhood centres.
The only real advantage, I suppose, is that it would shorten the public transport journey between Gek Poh and Tengah quite noticeably. Even so, passengers would still need to change to Services 992, 871 or 870 to get to Plantation Plaza, and to Service 97 if they wish to head towards Parc Point.
will 181’s operating hours still be affected by 181M when it extends to tengah? (currently 181 does not operate when 181M is in operation)
I’m actually more concerned about at least one new bus stop at where 181 currently turns around, at the tail end of Jurong West Avenue 3, and that bus stop is yet to be open for use.
Will 181 purposely make a stop over there, just like how 983 call at Keat Hong Close, and how 84 call at New Punggol Road (at the tail end of the road)? Or will they just simply relocate that not-yet-open new bus stops to Jurong West Street 22, to optimize resources?
Hopefully they can opt for the obvious straightforward solution of just relocating the yet-to-open new bus stops to the main road, rather than be creative just because that area happens to be Jurong Innovation District; economic effectiveness is then the practical way to do things.
Too late, there are already bus stops along Bulim Drive that will definitely used by 181 in the future, also possibly the main reason why its route to Tengah is taking some time.
Yesterday I was at Tengah. I take taxi from Tengah Garden Avenue to my home in Jurong West. The taxi took the slip road at Tengah Boulevard to enter PIE and then u-turn at Bukit Batok Road to go towards Jurong West.
I saw a new bus stop still covered in plastic at Tengah Boulevard next to the PIE slip road, which suggests that 181 will use that bus stop and that route.
Okay, so the route from Jurong West to Tengah is kinda clear: via Bulim industrial, also good that won’t duplicate 185 so much.
I’m curious about the route in Tengah. Hopefully it is not just Tengah Boulevard and straight into Tengah Bus Interchange. Hopefully it can connect to Parc Point and/or Plantation Plaza.
Bulim Walk looks like it is being extended, and the bus stops at the turnaround are labelled as Bulim Walk bus stops. (They also are BS-01 and BS-02, instead of the usual B01 and B02) so 181 will probably go through Bulim
If Service 181 is extended into the Bulim Industrial Area, it would effectively fulfil its original intention of serving the inner sectors of Wenya and Bulim, which has yet to materialise due to earlier changes in planning. In many ways, this would represent the first half of the initial proposal.
The second half of that original plan was, in all likelihood, to extend the route further towards Hong Kah and Taman Jurong, and ultimately to Jurong East. However, that particular function appears to have been assumed by the newer Service 49. As matters stand, the revised approach seems to be to link Service 181 with Tengah instead.
I must say, I have a strong suspicion that Service 181 may eventually be merged with Service 993, which is presently a rather short trunk route operating only within Bukit Batok and Jurong East. This would seem especially plausible if 181 were to run along Tengah Boulevard before turning into Tengah Park Avenue to serve Parc Point.
In the event of a merger, it would make sense to retain the more established service number, 181, particularly since 993 currently carries comparatively lower ridership. The vacated 993 number could then be reassigned to a new service within the Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang or Tengah areas, should future demand arise.