Wheelchair Accessible Bus Routes

Wheelchair Accessible Bus Routes, as the name implies, are bus routes which allow for the carriage of Passengers-in-wheelchair (PIW). Personal mobility aids, such as mobility scooters, are also allowed onboard,

Since 2006, all new public buses in Singapore are wheelchair-accessible. These wheelchair-accessible buses (WABs) typically feature a low-floor or low-entry layout with step-free access at the rear door. A manual wheelchair ramp is installed at the rear door, and up to 2 wheelchair bays would be installed on board. The Bus Captain would assist with ramp deployment and assisting PIWs with boarding/alighting and fare payment.

All public bus services are wheelchair-accessible from 17 October 2019.

History

Wheelchair-accessible buses were first announced on 15 February 2006 when SBS Transit unveiled the Volvo B9TL (CDGE), a prototype low-entry double-decker bus and the first of its kind in Singapore. Built locally by ComfortDelGro Engineering, a total of 150 buses of the type were ordered, and scheduled for assembly by the end of 2006 (this was later increased to 200 buses).

The introduction of wheelchair-accessible bus travel was in partnership with LTA and various welfare organizations. LTA also helped to fund the incremental capital cost of providing manual ramps and associated features (such as the dedicated PIW alighting bell-push, padded backrest, and associated grab poles and stanchion poles), as well as improving bus stop infrastructure to make them more friendly to wheelchair-bound passengers (PIWs).

The first wheelchair-accessible bus service was launched on Monday, 26 June 2006 with the introduction of 10 new Volvo B9TL (CDGE) buses to SBS Transit Service 21 plying between Pasir Ris and St. Michaels. Service 21 was chosen to be the first WAB service after consultation with Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) and the Land Transport Authority. It runs past the premises of the Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA) in Whampoa, enabling members to gain direct access to major town centres like Pasir Ris, Tampines and Bedok. It also provides connections to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and other medical facilities.

Service 21, after the intake of 10 new WABs, had a fleet size of 23 buses. This ensured that PIWs could board a WAB every one or two buses of waiting. All PIWs were also entitled to free travel until the end of July that year.

In addition to the Volvo B9TL, SBS Transit also ordered 1100 low-entry Scania K230UB buses to replace their ageing buses. The Euro IV batch (501 buses) featured two wheelchair bays, while the later Euro V batch (600 buses) had just one wheelchair bay, with three side-facing seats in place of a second wheelchair bay.

Following up on strong PIW demand, on 30 October 2006, SBS Transit Service 147 became the second WAB to be launched, with 19 new WABs in the fleet of 37 buses, once again ensuring that PIWs could board a WAB every one or two buses of waiting. Two months later, on 3 December 2006, Services 12, 196 and 198 were made wheelchair-accessible services. With more WABs being introduced into SBS Transit’s fleet, such as the Volvo B9TL Wright and Mercedes-Benz Citaro, more WAB services were progressively introduced.

SMRT Buses also introduced wheelchair-accessible buses, with a fleet of low-entry Mercedes-Benz OC500LE buses with bodywork by Gemilang Coachworks entering service in 2008. Like the Volvo B9TL, this low-entry bus also had zero-step entrances but two wheelchair berths instead of one. SMRT introduced its first wave of WAB services on 1 June 2009, with services 171, 172, 189, 307, 811, 851 and 945.

All newer buses acquired by SBS Transit and SMRT Buses since 2006 were wheelchair-accessible.

Wheelchair-accessible buses

Any wheelchair-accessible bus (WAB) was identified with a wheelchair decal on the front windscreen. WABs can be deployed on non-WAB services but were not allowed to ferry PIWs. However, with the increasing proportion of wheelchair-accessible buses on Singapore roads, the wheelchair decal was not made mandatory.

WABs are typically equipped with a manual ramp at the rear exit door. The wheelchair bay is usually located on the right of the bus, opposite the exit door. PIWs are required to rest their wheelchair against a backrest (a horizontal cushion) while the bus is in motion. In addition, some buses provide a seat belt around the backrest. On some bus designs, like SMRT Mercedes-Benz Citaros and the MAN A22, the backrest doubles up as a foldable seat while there are no PIWs onboard. WABs also come with a special bell for PIWs to alert the driver when they intend to alight, though this bell is sometimes misused by other passengers.

Drivers on WAB routes are also trained on how to handle PIWs onboard. For PIW boarding, the driver will stop the bus closer to the kerb, and allow other passengers to alight first, before assisting the PIW onboard. The driver will deploy the manual ramp and ensure that the PIW is secured with the back of the wheelchair leaning on the backrest and wheels in the locked position. Finally, the driver will assist the PIW with fare payment before opening the front door to allow other passengers onboard. Alighting for PIWs works the same way, with the bus driver assisting with the manual ramp deployment.

Bus Stops

Some bus stops are inaccessible to PIWs owing to site conditions; usually when there are steps leading up to the kerb edge or when no footpaths are leading to the bus stop. As of 2016, 137 bus stops were not yet wheelchair-accessible, which represented less than 3% of the 4,700 bus stops in Singapore. The LTA has targeted to upgrade all these bus stops by 2020.

PIWs are also not allowed across the border, and cross-border bus services only allow PIWs along the Singapore sectors.

Timeline:

From 17 October 2019, all public bus services are wheelchair-accessible.

New bus routes introduced after 17 October 2019 and City Direct bus routes handed over to Public Transport Operators:

Photo credits:

• Launch of Wheelchair Accessible Bus – SBS Transit
• SBS7483U on Photobucket – Photobucket
• SMB1H on 300.jpg – Wikipedia

Back to Home