A Double-Decker Bus was spotted on test at Changi Airport on Wednesday morning, 26 June 2019.
A SMRT Volvo B9TL bus, SG5517G, was photographed at the Departure Hall of Changi Airport Terminal 3. It is said that the trial was conducted together with the Land Transport Authority and Changi Airport Group. (Photo: Behold Our Outstanding Buses Singapore)
https://www.facebook.com/BOOBSG/photos/p.1529253883877679/1529253883877679/
Double-decker buses should be deployed on airport services to cater to the high loading levels. However, airport bus services only can use single-deck and articulated (bendy) buses due to height limits at the basement of Changi Airport PTB 1, 2 and 3.
Increased ridership has caused overcrowding problems on these bus services, notably SMRT Bus Service 858 and SBS Transit Bus Service 53. SMRT Buses deployed MAN A24 bendy buses since late-2015 to cope with high loading levels. Following the opening of JEWEL Changi Airport, more bendy buses were deployed, and buses operated additional trips from Changi Airport in the evening.
Road infrastructure has to be made double-decker friendly first before such buses can be deployed on airport services. While the departure halls of Terminal 1 and 3 are able to cater to double-deckers, there is a 4.0m height limit on the slip road entering Terminal 2 Departure Hall. In addition, buses will have to ply a circuitous route involving U-Turns to get in between departure halls.
Hopefully, double-deckers can be deployed on airport services in the near future for a more comfortable journey!
Contingency Plan
Currently, public buses serving Changi Airport may be diverted to call at the departure halls of Terminals 1, 2 & 3 if the basement is closed due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. accident or vehicle breakdown).
Terminal 3 Departure Hall
During the Early Closure, Late Opening & Sunday Closures on the East-West Line from January 2018 to April 2018, Shuttle 8 and Express 12Â buses used Terminal 3 Departure Hall Gate 8 as a Pick-Up and Drop-Off Point.
I think they should replace the underground Changi Airport bus station to the departure hall of Changi Airport
Agree, maybe its time to build a full-fledged bus interchange (could have done so as part of Jewel in my opinion) and stop using the underground bus stations. The 3 security checks can then be reduced to 1 – better efficiency.
Maybe for Shuttle 8 & Express 12.
Or 858M which starts from Yishun to the departure hall.
This trial will eventually fail.
Hopefully it will succeed
Why? As in my below reply to your claim that DDs are less efficient than single deckers and bendies, using double deckers isn’t necessarily bad on these high demand routes.
Too bad this is not Hong Kong. Single Deckers and bendies are more reliable. This is a waste of time for this trial. Save it.
No it is not.
Our land mass smaller than HK and our population density is quite similar. Bendies are not exactly suitable here.
It’s not just 858 and 53 with overcrowding. It’s every single airport service.
Not necessarily. Although DD buses take longer to load and unload, their increase in capacity over rigid and bendy buses on crowded routes tend to overweigh the downsides to DDs. In fact, the single deckers on 858 and 110 spend way more time than an average DD bus at each bus stop as SMRT employees at some stops attempt to cram more people into the buses.
Should introduce new bus service to Changi Airport from the western part of Singapore
Can consider a new svc from Choa Chu Kang, pass by Bt Panjang using either BKE/PIE or BKE/SLE/TPE.
Alternatively, on top of DTL, Bt Panjang aldy has five existing svcs 190, 700, 960, 971E and 972 which goes to town. Can consider amending one to continue along PIE towards Airport.
Like i said many times, the west is well connected to the EWL, which is direct to CA interchange at tanah merah. No need to waste precious resources to add an airport route that could significantly see travel time to 4 hours to and fro. 67 is a great example.
I agree that the West does not deserve a direct bus to the Airport. Look at ex 989 for example, people simply prefer to take the MRT. Furthermore, with the CRL coming up, i do not see a need to introduce a useless service that will end up duplicating 966 or 985.